The bell rang.
Before anyone else could even stand up—
Zumi and Gia were already gone.
A single smooth motion:
Zumi rose from his chair, Gia followed a step behind, and the two of them slipped out of the classroom with quiet speed and perfect coordination.
No lingering.
No mingling.
No opportunity for whispers or curiosity.
Just gone.
Emily blinked in surprise.
Did they teleport?
How did they leave so fast?
Serafina pretended not to watch them go, but her eyes flickered with amusement.
Emily clutched her notebook to her chest and walked through the hallway with the rest of the students, though she stayed slightly ahead — she always did.
Avoid crowds.
Avoid attention.
Avoid the boys who whisper about you and think you can't hear.
Her footsteps were light as she stopped at her locker, spinning the dial with practiced precision.
Click.
She opened it.
And just as she was reaching for her literature book—
A soft thump echoed nearby.
Down the hall, Kathy saw her moment.
Emily alone.
Locker open.
Guard down.
Perfect.
Kathy adjusted the books in her arms — three textbooks, one binder, and a stack of loose papers — and then, with an actress's precision…
She let them slip.
Textbooks spilled.
Papers fluttered.
Her binder hit the floor with a dramatic smack.
"Ah—! Oh no—!" Kathy gasped, perfectly distressed.
She'd practiced this move.
She could have won an Oscar.
Emily turned immediately.
"Oh! Let me help you!"
She knelt down, gathering the papers with gentle care, as if each sheet mattered. Kathy watched her with a soft, internal smile.
Kind.
Just like he said.
Emily stacked the books neatly and handed them over.
"There," she said with a shy smile. "Sorry they got so messy."
Kathy returned a warm smile — the one that made people feel safe, the one Zumi trusted her to use.
"Thank you so much.
I'm Kathy."
"Emily," she replied softly.
Their hands brushed as Kathy took the last book.
Emily didn't flinch.
She didn't pull away.
She just smiled — a genuine, warm smile.
Hook secured, Kathy thought, keeping her expression sweet and natural.
Kathy hugged the books to her chest.
"It's my first week here," she said with perfect natural innocence. "I'm still getting lost everywhere."
Emily smiled again — slightly wider this time.
"Me too."
Something gentle clicked into place between them.
Not forced.
Not rushed.
Just two girls connecting in a crowded hallway.
"Do you want to walk together?" Kathy asked.
Emily hesitated — then nodded.
"…Yes."
Side by side, they walked away from the lockers and toward Emily's next class.
Kathy allowed a tiny, secret smile to curve her lips.
Zumi…
Mission accomplished.
To everyone else, it just looked like two girls walking through their first day of high school together.
But to the two of them?
It felt like something natural… effortless… right.
After their "accidental" meeting at the lockers, Kathy discovered something almost funny:
She and Emily shared every remaining class and the same lunch period.
"Really? You too?" Emily said shyly after the third time they checked their schedules side by side.
Kathy laughed softly.
"Guess you're stuck with me today."
Emily smiled — genuinely.
"I… don't mind."
If she were being honest, she was relieved.
Starting a new school alone was terrifying.
Having someone walk beside her made everything easier.
Lunch time came, and they sat outside beneath a leafy tree where the sunlight flickered through the branches.
Emily unpacked a simple lunch she prepared herself: a sandwich, a small thermos, and an apple she'd cut into neat little slices for her brother that morning but forgot to leave at home.
Kathy watched her with growing warmth.
She wasn't faking friendliness anymore.
She didn't need to.
Emily was the type of girl you wanted to protect.
"So your little brother's name is Noah?" Kathy asked.
Emily's eyes softened instantly — that kind of tenderness only someone who carried the world on their shoulders could show.
"He's everything to me. I… I just want to give him a better life."
Kathy felt something twist in her chest.
No wonder Zumi is interested in her…
Her heart is so pure it feels spiritual.
Throughout the day, Emily surprised her:
She was gentle, but not weak.
She was shy, but not afraid.
She was humble, but deeply intelligent.
She was soft, but not naïve.
Emily had a strange mix of innocence and street-smarts — not learned from danger, but from responsibility.
Kathy found herself thinking:
If Zumi hadn't ordered me to befriend her…
I would have anyway.
She genuinely liked her.
At one point during a lecture, Emily leaned slightly closer and whispered:
"Kathy… do you ever get the feeling like… someone's watching out for you?"
Kathy blinked.
"…What do you mean?"
Emily's fingers tightened around her pen.
"I don't know. It's like… when I'm around you, I feel calm. Safe. Like I'm grounded."
Kathy's eyes softened.
That wasn't her doing.
That was Zumi's aura echoing through the bond of purpose he had just established around Emily.
But Emily didn't know that.
Kathy leaned slightly toward her, smiling warmly.
"Then stick close to me, okay? I've got you."
Emily smiled back — small, shy, grateful.
"I'd like that."
By the end of the day:
• Emily was laughing softly
• Kathy was teasing her gently
• They shared stories
• They compared notes
• Emily had opened up about her fears and hopes
• Kathy had quietly promised herself to protect her
When the final bell rang, Emily turned to her.
"I'm really glad we met today."
Kathy felt a surprising warmth bloom in her chest.
"Me too, Emily. Really."
And she meant every word.
No missions.
No orders.
Just truth.
As they walked toward the school gates together, Emily brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and whispered:
"I feel like… today was the first good day I've had in a long time."
Kathy smiled.
Then I'll make sure you have more.
The last bell had rung.
Students poured out of the building in streams until the halls were empty and still.
But one place remained occupied — secretly.
Gia, Serafina, Bia, Carmella, Kathy, Jasmine, Hina, Sakura, Ana, Reina, Bethany, and Catherine quietly gathered outside the lunchroom.
Gia scanned the area, eyes sharp.
"No students. No cameras pointed this way. We're clear."
Bia cracked her knuckles with a grin.
"Good. If any kid walked in while we were talking about divine aura, Emily Hart, and secret missions, we'd all be fired."
Carmella smirked and elbowed her.
"You would be fired for suplexing someone. The rest of us would be fine."
They slipped inside the lunchroom and locked the door behind them.
Zumi entered last, wearing his three-piece suit like the effortless king he was.
They all took seats around him — their instinctive formation as natural as breathing.
Once the room was quiet, Zumi exhaled softly.
"Alright. Let's begin."
Before anyone spoke, Zumi's consciousness brushed against Kathy's mind like a warm whisper.
Zumi (telepathy): Kathy… report.
Kathy: She's amazing, Zumi. Emily is genuinely one of the sweetest people I've ever met.
Zumi: And her aura?
Kathy: She has no idea she has one — but I swear, I felt something. It's soft, but… deep. Like she's hiding oceans under a calm surface. And she re-centered her emotions instinctively. I've never seen a human do that.
Zumi's golden eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
Zumi: Good. Stay close to her. Not as an assignment — as a friend.
Kathy: I already planned to.
He severed the link.
Now the meeting began.
BIA:
Bia sat forward, resting her elbows on the table.
"Okay, so my day? Boring. Honestly. I missed you all. I especially missed you."
She pointed at Zumi dramatically.
The girls rolled their eyes affectionately.
"But I'm pretty sure I did good! I had them play dodgeball. Good way to test reaction times. A couple kids almost died but—"
"Bia."
Serafina glared.
"…but I caught the balls before they hit them," Bia said with a pout.
"Mostly."
Zumi stifled a laugh.
"Good job, Bia. I'm proud of you."
Her entire face lit up like a furnace.
CARMELLA:
Carmella folded her arms elegantly.
"My history class was fine. The students were attentive… asked many questions… took notes seriously. One boy flirted, but I stared at him until he reconsidered his entire existence."
Bia snorted.
Reina whispered, "Queen behavior."
"I taught them about the French Revolution," Carmella continued. "No one caused trouble. I think I can get used to this teacher thing."
SERAFINA:
Instantly, all eyes turned to her.
Gia smirked.
"So… teacher of literature… how did you do?"
Serafina cleared her throat and straightened her posture, pretending to be unbothered.
"The lesson went well."
Bia leaned in, grinning.
"And how hard was it to stop looking at Zumi every five seconds?"
Serafina's shadow twitched violently.
"I WAS maintaining teacher-student professionalism."
Gia raised a brow.
"Everyone noticed you glancing at him."
Serafina exploded quietly:
"DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS WHEN YOUR HUSBAND IS SITTING THERE LOOKING LIKE—LIKE THAT!?"
The girls erupted laughing.
Zumi covered his mouth to hide his smile.
Serafina crossed her arms sharply.
"I will improve tomorrow."
"You better," Gia teased. "You almost gave yourselves away."
EMILY REPORT — GIA & KATHY:
Kathy leaned forward first.
"I had all my classes after first period with her even lunch. Emily is… honestly a sweetheart. She has this innocence to her, but also this deep intuition — like she sees more than she says."
Zumi nodded slowly. "And her aura?"
Gia spoke next.
"Serafina saw it. I saw it. Zumi saw it. The moment she got nervous, her aura flickered. But then…"
Serafina finished for her, voice soft with disbelief:
"She calmed it. Instantly. Perfectly. Like a trained spiritual practitioner."
Carmella's eyes widened.
"But she doesn't even know what aura is."
Gia nodded.
"That's the scary part. She responded instantly when Zumi extended a calming aura toward her. And she felt it — she reacted physically."
Hina tilted her head, intrigued.
"So she's spiritually aware without being awakened?"
Jasmine whispered:
"That… shouldn't be possible."
Zumi leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled.
"There's more to Emily Hart than a good exam score," he said quietly.
"She may be normal… but she is anything but ordinary."
The girls absorbed this in silence.
Then Kathy added softly:
"And… I really like her. If nothing else… she deserves protection."
Everyone nodded without hesitation.
Of course she did.
The lunchroom lights buzzed faintly overhead.
Zumi closed his eyes, deep in thought.
Emily Hart.
A normal human girl.
A protector of her younger brother.
A quiet soul with a hidden depth.
A girl who stabilized her aura like a monk.
A girl who reacted to his divine aura instantly.
There were no coincidences in Zumi's world.
He opened his eyes.
"From now on," he said calmly,
"Emily Hart is under my protection."
The girls nodded, understanding the weight of those words.
A new thread had been woven into their lives — whether Emily knew it or not.
And the Monkey King had already taken notice.
Bia stretched her arms dramatically.
"Well, I'm done for the day. If I stay here any longer, I might start grading papers and cry."
Serafina flicked her forehead.
"You haven't been assigned papers yet."
"I could, though," Bia retorted, pouting. "I'm very responsible."
Carmella laughed softly, her crimson eyes warm.
"Come on, you two. Let's go home before you start wrestling in the cafeteria."
They waved to Zumi and the others, then exited together — three supernatural women acting like normal coworkers heading home after a long shift.
"You all go home. I'll meet you there."
Zumi turned to the remaining girls.
Gia, Jasmine, Hina, Sakura, Ana, Reina, Bethany, Kathy, and Catherine stood around him, relaxing now that the day was officially over.
He gave them a reassuring smile.
"You all go ahead and head home. I'll meet you there soon."
Gia tilted her head.
"Are you sure? It's the first day — we could all go together."
Zumi reached out and gently tapped her forehead.
"Go home. Relax. You earned it."
They all softened immediately.
Catherine looked like she wanted to hug him right there.
Reina gave him a small salute.
Hina smiled shyly behind her bangs.
Jasmine sighed dramatically.
"Fine, but don't stay out too long. We'll miss you."
Zumi chuckled.
"I won't."
The girls turned and walked away together, chatting lightly — but always glancing back at him until they rounded the corner.
The moment they were out of sight…
Zumi activated the Ring.
A soft flash of golden radiance enveloped him.
In less than a heartbeat, he vanished.
No sound.
No ripple.
Just gone.
He reappeared inside the real estate agency.
To the staff… it looked like he had always been standing there.
One moment: empty.
Next moment: Zumi in a three-piece black suit, golden eyes glinting.
And they didn't dare ask questions.
His aura — masked to appear human — still carried that subtle dominance.
The kind of presence that made people straighten their posture instinctively.
Receptionists glanced up.
"Welcome, sir."
"Good afternoon, sir."
"Do you have an appointment?"
One man even stepped aside like a soldier making way for a general.
Zumi didn't speak yet.
He was already dialing a number.
Sebastian picked up immediately.
"Master Zumi."
"Sebastian," Zumi said, voice low and controlled, "let's open the casino tomorrow. Is it ready?"
A small pause — then a confident reply:
"Yes, it is completely prepared. The renovations are finished, as is the integration of the original restaurant into the casino floor. They will serve their old menu, but with the best ingredients we could acquire."
Zumi smiled faintly.
"Amazing."
He stepped further into the real estate office, surveying the displays of available properties.
"I'll come by the suite tonight. I want to talk to you and Jonathan."
Sebastian's tone shifted into full respect.
"Understood, Master. I'll have everything ready."
Zumi ended the call with a soft click.
He looked at the wall of house listings.
Multiple properties.
Large estates.
Smaller homes.
Mansions in quiet areas.
Townhouses near the school.
His mind sharpened.
The plan forming in his head wasn't small.
It was strategic.
It was for the future.
For his people.
For Emily.
For his goddesses.
For the empire.
He folded his hands behind his back, eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
Time to expand the Kogane domain.
Time to build something bigger.
Time to prepare for what Celestia hinted was coming.