My brows arched, interest piqued. "Who designed them?" I asked, leaning in.
Amari grinned knowingly. "Do you remember the nerd group from our class?"
I blinked. "Nope. I never knew anyone apart from you and Yua."
Her mouth dropped open in disbelief. "How do you not know of them? They were always at the top of the class during exams!"
I shrugged, unconcerned. "Haha, and what does that prove? They knew how to remember things from a book. Good for them."
Amari sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Well, two of them are in this kingdom now. And they're the designers of the jets. Not just jets-they've been behind a lot of the other advanced tech as well."
I leaned back, lips twisting into a sarcastic smile. "Woah, how lovely of them. To think they'd improve the kingdom's war potential-basically painting an even bigger target on us than we already are."
Yes, it would protect us better. But it was also a double-edged sword. The kingdom was already a massive target because of its abundant resources. Piling advanced technology on top of that? It was like waving a flag at the Federation: Come and get us.
"We're already in a cold war with the Federation," I muttered darkly. "But if this keeps up, the other two kingdoms might join in. We'll be surrounded."
Dean leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "By cold war, you mean... the fight to outpace each other in technology." His tone was grim.
I stared at him, my gut twisting. "Don't tell me they're actually keeping up with us?"
Dean's slow, deliberate nod was all the answer I needed. My fist slammed onto the table. "Shit."
Amari's expression hardened, shadows dancing across her face. "Now we know where the rest of the nerd group is."
I exhaled sharply, then chuckled bitterly. "I take it back. Let's help them move faster. If I can advance medical science-even just how doctors operate-it'll be worth it."
Mom's head whipped toward me, her eyes sparkling. "That's a fantastic idea! With you being that bastard of a doctor's son-and having all his knowledge in your head-you could revolutionize medicine here." Her enthusiasm burned like a torch.
Granny frowned, unconvinced. "But you just said it was a terrible thing. Why are you suddenly pushing her to do it?"
Mom smirked at her. "You're slow."
Granny's nostrils flared.
Mom went on. "It won't help us to stop advancing when the Federation keeps moving forward. I could tell Kitsuna to stop, but then we'd just be sitting ducks. I should also mention that the Federation initiates most wars initially.
Granny grumbled but eventually gave a reluctant nod.
As the conversation shifted, a thought surfaced in my mind-one I couldn't shake. My voice came out low, almost hesitant. "Amari. "Have these two creators of ours considered making nukes?"
The word alone was enough to make her pale. Everyone in the room sat up straighter, tension thickening instantly.
Amari swallowed hard. "Sadly, I don't know. But I do know this-if they tried, they'd bring mana into it. And that might make it worse. We'll get a chance to ask, though. In a week, all the reincarnations will be gathering for our monthly meeting."
My mind worked quickly, calculating. "How many are in this kingdom?"
"Five. With you, six," Mom answered.
I grimaced. "There were twenty-five of us in the class, right? Including Yua, twenty-six. Knowing the Federation, they must've ordered a hunt. I'd guess they have between ten and fifteen of us on their side by now."
Dean shook his head. "I don't think they'd make a recruitment order." His voice was steady, certain. "Knowing the Federation as long as I have, it's more likely they made a kill order. Just like they did with the demon foxes."
The words hit like a hammer. The memory of that genocide order boiled up from the depths of my mind. All at once, my bloodlust surged outward, uncontrollable, spilling across the room like a tidal wave.
"The fucking Federation can burn in hell for that order," I snarled, my voice dripping venom. "Civilians and all."
The pressure filled the air, thick enough to suffocate. Then a gentle tap on my shoulder pulled me back. I sucked in a sharp breath, then forced myself to calm down, retracting the killing intent. "Fuck that order. Sorry." My voice softened as I looked at Amari. "Sorry about that."
To my surprise, she wasn't shaken. She didn't flinch, didn't recoil from the flood of malice. Instead, she looked at me with sadness in her eyes, her expression almost... gentle.
"I heard about that order too," Amari said softly. "I don't hate easily. But I hate the Federation the most. I agree with you about destroying them... though without the part about the civilians." Her voice was steady, her gaze unyielding.
Something warm flickered in my chest. I smiled faintly. "Thank you. Huh, so they also taught you to resist bloodlust?"
Dean leaned forward, intrigued. "Yes, of course. It's the most important thing in combat-not freezing under bloodlust. Hers may not be as strong as yours, but..." He paused, eyes narrowing. "You've killed before."
The way he said it wasn't an accusation but a fact.
I looked sharply at Stacy. She felt my stare and quickly raised her hands in defense. "I didn't tell him anything yet."
My eyes lingered, but her expression was too casual to be lying. Finally, I leaned back, letting it slide.
"Either way," I said firmly, "it would be the dumbest thing not to find them. Take Amari and me, for example-we both have three elements, and our stats are way above average. I bet every reincarnation is like that. Not to mention... we have knowledge."
Granny's expression was sour, but her voice was measured. "I agree it would be a mistake to waste such resources. But the Federation always prefers to eliminate threats before considering their value."
Mom's lips curved into a humorless smile. "They might think that way, but we'll prepare for the worst."
I slapped my hands together, breaking the tension. "Clap! Before we worry about the outside world, we should finish our problems first." My eyes swept across the room. "Or rather-my problem."
Amari leaned forward, her voice sharp. "Glad you brought it up. What did my mother mean when she called you a mass murderer?"
The room fell silent. All eyes turned to me.
I exhaled slowly. "To answer that... I'll have to tell you about my life before I went to your school."
Raising my hand, I summoned walls of ice, sealing the room off from prying ears. Only the family, Rebecca, and Lily remained inside the barrier. Then, carefully, I began.
[10 min later]
Amari's voice was steady, summarizing as though piecing the puzzle together aloud. "Let me get this straight. You were actually Shiro Adachi-the son of Doctor Adachi, the greatest doctor in the world at the time."
I nodded once.
"Because you were used as his test dummy for ten years," she continued, "you eventually killed everyone and burned the building down."
Another nod.
"After that," Amari went on, her face grim, "a terrorist organization took the blame for your work. They became the most hated people on Earth. With the money you looted from your father's safe, you traveled across Japan, hiding your identity. You learned from the black market, traded for a year, then settled down and joined my school." She exhaled sharply, finishing.
"Yeah," I said simply. "That sums up my life."
Lily leaned forward, confused. "How did you get access to the black market, though?"
I chuckled bitterly. "Ooh, that's a funny story. It's also the reason I got this scar." I pointed to my eye. "It happened a week after the massacre. I was wandering an alley when some dumbass attacked me with a knife. I was still on edge, and I had the family katana on me. I killed him easily. But then another guy jumped me from behind. I didn't know any close combat then, so it turned into a messy floor fight. At some point, he grabbed the katana, and I had the knife. By pure luck, I killed him-but I ended up badly injured."
The memory replayed in my mind, raw and unfiltered.
"I searched his body and found an address with keys. I needed a place to heal, so I went there. Imagine my surprise when I found out the second guy I killed was a master hacker." I let out a dark laugh. "I stayed at his place for two months. It was thanks to him-and the terrorist group taking the blame-that my life became... easier."
Lily shook her head with a wry smile. "I don't know if you're unlucky or lucky."
"Me neither." I spread my arms wide, smiling bitterly. "I went from being a test dummy to a killer to a fugitive, and now-look at me. A fucking primordial."
Amari stood up suddenly, her chair screeching back. Her expression was fierce, her voice shaking with anger. "Why the fuck did it take you so long to kill them? Your father was a monster! To think I idolized him-just the thought makes me want to vomit!"
Her sudden outburst startled me. I blinked, taken aback. "You know I was fifteen, right? And he was famous. It wasn't that easy!"
Her hands clenched into fists. "Yeah, I know that. But still... how did no one find out?"
I sighed. "People probably knew. But he was the best doctor in the world. Nobody wanted to cross him."
Her face twisted in disgust. "That... makes sense. Did Yua know about you? Could you explain what it means for you to be a primordial?
"She found out eventually," I said, my voice softening. "But her reaction was... different. As for my primordial self, that's another long story. One I'll tell later."
"It makes sense now," Amari said bitterly. "You killed over eighty people. When did Yua find out?"
"A couple of months before our reincarnation."
Before I could say more, Dean dropped a bomb. "If you want to see him again, you'll get the chance. He'll be visiting tomorrow."
My head snapped toward him. "Huh? No way."
"He found out about the attack," Dean explained calmly. "He knew Amari and I were headed here."
Panic twisted in my gut. "No. Make him go away." My voice cracked, pleading.
Amari's voice was steady, almost casual. "He's my fiance, you know."
"I don't care," I muttered, dropping my head onto the table. "I wanted to see her again... but not this soon. I'm not ready."
Mom's hand rested gently on my shoulder. "You'll be fine," she said softly. Then she stood, her voice turning firm. "Because Kitsuna told the first story, I'll tell the other one. She can add details when I miss something."
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"At least it wasn't ten years this time," Dean said sarcastically, his arms crossed, though the weight in his tone made it clear he wasn't joking as much as he wished he was.
"That's not true for me," I muttered, leaning back in my chair. "Being from Earth, it was ten years for me. And I never had the chance to kill the bastard. That's most likely why I went straight into wrath instead of just berserk last night." My voice dipped lower on that last part, bitter heat burning in my throat at the memory.
Dean's eyes darkened. "That is a big problem, though. If people find out about you holding it, they will either try to kill you or try to control you." He spoke with a heavy expression, like he had already seen this play out in his mind a dozen different ways.
"Kitsuna," Granny suddenly asked, her tone firm and eyes sharp, "if you have the power to take over the world... would you do that?"
I stared at her for a second, then snorted so hard I almost choked on my own laugh. "PFFFT-are you crazy? Why the hell would I do that? Taking over the world equals taking responsibility. No thanks." I waved my hands as if batting away the thought itself. "I might've set my goal to become a god, sure, but I'm not going to go power-crazy and try to destroy the world. That's way too troublesome." I gave her a look like she'd just grown a second head.
Narrowing her eyes, she leaned forward slightly, not letting me brush it off so easily. "Why should I believe you?"
My mouth opened in outrage. "Hey, don't use my words against me!"
"Mom, you don't need to worry about her becoming power-hungry like the last wrath holder." Stacy's calm voice cut through the tension. She rested her hand on the table and spoke with quiet certainty. "She hates responsibilities over other people, but she loves having her own life under control. In other words, if you leave her alone, she'll leave you alone."
Granny let out a breath through her nose and leaned back, shrugging. "If you say so."
"Geez, Granny," I groaned, rubbing my temples. "Not every sin holder is all about power. Well... I might have said all that, but I am going to destroy the Federation." I added awkwardly, as if slipping that into casual conversation would make it less explosive.
"Not surprised," everyone said in perfect unison, their expressions unchanged.
I blinked at them, completely thrown off. "Really? No reaction?"
"Why would we react?" Mom said dryly. "We already know what you think about the Federation."
I leaned back in my chair and sighed. "Fine, fine. I'll be going, then. I'm going to do some laps around the mansion and then sleep."
"Why? It's only five in the afternoon," Amari said, tilting her head. "Dinner will be ready in two hours."
"Yeah, and we haven't even talked about your curse yet," Mom added, narrowing her eyes at me.
My spine stiffened. "Don't tell them about my curses, please. With the change, it's most likely not the same anyways." My gaze snapped to Mom, pleading but sharp.
"Why not?" she asked, genuinely confused.
"Just... don't." I stood up abruptly, brushing past the question. "Before I go, when will your fiancee be here tomorrow?" I looked straight at Amari, but the answer came from Dean.
"Seven in the morning. Why?"
"Because I'm taking a day off from training. I want to sleep in for once." I started melting the ice on the walls I'd made earlier, the water dripping quietly in the tense silence that followed.
Amari frowned. "If you're taking a day off training, why are you running now?"
"Because that has something to do with my fitness. Training's one thing; keeping my body sharp is another. Also-" I turned at the doorway, flashing a grin. "Don't wet your pants when you see a fox outside. I need to test some... things."
Before they could say anything else, I walked out. My thoughts churned the moment the hall swallowed me. 'Sigh, why am I getting so irritated by everything all of a sudden? Hopefully running will help me calm down. If not... I'll have to figure something else out.'
Back in the dining hall, Stacy watched me leave, her sigh heavy. She turned back to see the others all staring at her like wolves circling prey. "What?" she snapped, annoyed.
