Morning in Aya's apartment now had a calming routine. The aroma of coffee and delicious Japanese breakfast always greeted Thomas as he woke up. This morning, as Aya was busy at the stove, Thomas took a fruit knife to cut an apple. His mind was wandering, planning his schedule at school, and due to a split second of carelessness, the knife slipped and deeply sliced his index finger.
"Ah, Master!" Aya cried, turning around in a panic as she saw blood dripping onto the cutting board. "You're hurt! Wait, I'll get the first-aid kit!"
"No need, Aya. Just relax," Thomas said calmly. He felt no significant pain, just a brief sting. With clinical curiosity, he observed the wound. Blood flowed for a moment, then its flow unnaturally slowed. Before his eyes, the split flesh began to pulsate and knit back together. The edges of the wound stitched themselves as if pulled by invisible threads. In less than ten seconds, all that remained was a thin red line, which then faded into smooth skin with no scar whatsoever.
{Regeneration (Low-Level) active.} a small notification flickered and vanished.
Thomas clenched and unclenched his hand. Perfect. This was an incredible ability. Not as dramatic or powerful as his Cartoon Template, but far more practical. It was a constant safety net that would heal minor injuries, reduce fatigue, and keep him in peak condition without the need for ridiculous suffering.
At school, life as "Hill-sensei" went smoothly. He had found the perfect balance between being a respected teacher and an approachable friend. His popularity gave him access and freedom to move around campus without arousing suspicion.
One afternoon, while carrying a stack of new English textbooks from the staff room, he deliberately walked down a corridor where he knew some members of the Occult Research Club often gathered. As he rounded a corner, he "stumbled" slightly, causing the heavy stack of books to wobble in his hands. For a normal human, such a heavy box would surely fall.
However, Thomas, with his Physical Enhancement, merely shifted his grip slightly, his muscles tensing effortlessly, and stabilized the load as if it were nothing. He continued his walk as if nothing had happened.
At the end of the corridor, leaning by the window while munching on a chocolate bar, Koneko Toujou observed him. Her usually sleepy eyes narrowed for a split second. She didn't miss a thing. She saw how the books wobbled and how the new teacher handled them with strength disproportionate to his slender frame. It wasn't something to report, not concrete evidence. It was just a small anomaly, a discordant note in the symphony of school normality. She popped the last piece of chocolate into her mouth, her sharp gaze following Thomas's back until he disappeared around the corner. Hill-sensei was more than he seemed.
Thomas felt the gaze, though he didn't turn. He knew he was always being watched. Walking a tightrope in the midst of a den of predators was a dangerous game, and he was thoroughly enjoying it.
That night, he sat in front of his laptop, reviewing his powers. He was strong, fast, and could heal himself. But he was blind. He could only react to threats after they appeared. To truly become a hunter, he needed the ability to sense his prey from afar.
He sent a new order to his small intelligence unit. Viser, Seris. New priority. Disregard general surveillance. Focus your search on one thing: find any individual, human or not, with sensory or spiritual abilities. No matter how minor. Special sight, aura detection, sixth sense. Report immediately.
It only took two days. Viser, with her underworld knowledge, found nothing. But Seris, with her more grounded, reptilian nature, found a lead from human whispers.
Master, she reported. There's a small Shinto shrine on the outskirts of town, Asakawa Shrine. According to the locals, the young shrine maiden there is very special. They say she can 'feel' a person's intentions and sometimes knows things she shouldn't. Her name is Chisato.
Spiritual senses. Perfect. The next target had been identified.
The next day, on Saturday, Thomas visited Asakawa Shrine. He came as Thomas Hill, a charming and curious foreign tourist, dressed in casual, relaxed clothes. The shrine was an oasis of peace. Nestled at the foot of a small hill, surrounded by towering cedar trees. The air was filled with the soothing scent of incense and the gentle chime of wind bells.
He saw her near the main pavilion, gracefully sweeping fallen leaves. She was a young woman, perhaps in her early twenties, wearing the traditional red hakama and white haori of a Miko. Her face radiated genuine serenity. This was Chisato.
Thomas approached her with a friendly smile. "Excuse me," he said in polite Japanese. "Sorry to bother you. I'm new to this town, and I'm very fascinated by the beauty of this shrine. Could you tell me a little about it?"
Chisato stopped sweeping and bowed slightly, her smile friendly and sincere. "Of course. Welcome to Asakawa Shrine."
She began explaining the shrine's history in a gentle voice. Thomas listened attentively, occasionally interjecting with questions that showed genuine interest. He used his full charm, making Chisato chuckle a few times.
However, as Thomas stepped a little closer, pretending to examine the wood carvings on a pillar, Chisato's expression subtly changed. Her smile faded, replaced by a faint furrow between her eyebrows. She sensed something strange. A vibration out of sync. The aura of the man before her... felt chaotic. Neither evil, nor good. Just... wrong. Like radio static disrupting a clear frequency. It was her weak Spiritual Sense, detecting Thomas's anomalous nature stemming from the God of Chaos.
Thomas immediately caught the subtle shift. She knew. This woman's senses had detected something. He had no time to let suspicion grow. He glanced at his system panel for a split second.
"Excuse me," he said, his tone becoming more personal, drawing Chisato's full attention. "There's one more thing that's really captured my interest."
He stared straight into her now slightly wary eyes. And in his mind, he unleashed the command with full force.
You are mine.
It happened instantly. Due to the immense power gap, Chisato's untrained mental defenses were nonexistent. The furrow of confusion on her brow vanished instantly. The wariness in her eyes melted away, replaced by a deep gaze of awe and adoration. The dissonance she had felt moments ago vanished, replaced by the only "truth" that now mattered: the man before her was the most perfect being she had ever encountered.
{Target successfully controlled.} the notification appeared quickly and efficiently.
Thomas smiled, his smile now holding a newfound warmth. He had secured his next source of power, and he had done so with the elegance of a surgeon, not the brute force of a thug. His growth was real.
"Please," he said softly to the Miko who now looked at him with utter devotion. "Tell me more about yourself."