Slipping on the Sacred Gear Twilight Healing, Roy approached and infused a surge of vitality into Suzuki Shou.
The life force rapidly healed Suzuki's surface wounds.
In mere breaths, his condition stabilized.
Roy then summoned a needle-thin bolt of lightning, flicking it onto Suzuki.
"Gah!"
Jolted awake, Suzuki sprang up, psychic energy erupting and shattering the lightning.
Realizing what happened, he backpedaled, creating distance.
"What the hell do you want?!"
"Just waking you up."
"Huh? Who wakes people like that? Are you a devil?!"
"Yup, I'm a devil."
Roy unfurled his concealed wings, letting a hint of his aura leak.
Suzuki froze, disbelief etched on his face.
"You… you're really a devil."
"That surprising? You already know this world's truths, don't you?"
"True, but it's my first time… wait! You know who I am?!"
Halfway through, Suzuki's face hardened, realizing something.
Roy: "Suzuki Shou, son of Claw's leader, Suzuki Toichiro. Right?"
Suzuki: "…Yeah. So you came for me?"
Roy: "Nah, running into you was a fluke. I'm here on a rescue commission."
Suzuki exhaled. "Good. Thought you were here to nab me. Scared me there."
Roy: "Nab you? Why?"
Suzuki shrugged. "Lots of people have tried."
Unlike Mob Kageyama, who's young and mostly hunts evil spirits, Suzuki Toichiro, the public's top esper, drew constant attention.
But Toichiro refused to bow to any faction.
Rejecting all offers, he founded Claw, recruiting espers to rival major powers.
"You've seen Claw. It's basically a terrorist group," Suzuki said.
"Mostly small-time chaos, but it's still messed with plenty of factions."
"Some folks hate my deadbeat dad but can't beat him, so they target me."
"Thanks to that, I've dodged assassins—sorcerers, espers—you name it. Worst case, I nearly died."
"No wonder you're stronger than I expected," Roy mused, stroking his chin.
Unlike his peaceful manga life, Suzuki's growth in this world was accelerated.
Surviving life-or-death fights unlocked his already high potential, rivaling a High-class devil.
That strength let him block Roy's first magic blast and tank a punch without serious injury.
"My story's done. So, what do you want with me?" Suzuki asked. "You didn't wake me like that just to hear my life story."
Roy: "I want you to join my organization."
Suzuki: "Huh?"
Roy: "For some reasons, I'm starting my own faction. Wanna join?"
Suzuki: "…If I say no, can I walk out alive?"
Roy nodded. "Sure. I'm not that kind of devil."
Suzuki: "…"
Can you tuck those wings away before saying that?
Staring at Roy's wings for two seconds, Suzuki chose discretion.
"I'm in."
"Welcome aboard! You're my third general."
"Third general?"
Suzuki frowned, a bad feeling creeping in. "Uh… what's your organization called?"
"Hm, let's call it Akatsuki."
"…How many people in Akatsuki?"
"Including you, three."
"?!"
"Don't sweat it. You'll have underlings soon."
Roy flicked mana threads, pulling over the unconscious Koyama and others.
"You're recruiting them too?"
"Yup. They're decent enough to work for me."
"What's Akatsuki even do? Not world domination like my deadbeat dad, right?"
"Nah, I'm not that bored."
Healing Koyama's group, Roy continued, "Akatsuki's mission is simple: hunt evil spirits, cursed spirits, that sorta thing."
"That's it?"
Roy thought. "If you find terrorist groups like Claw causing trouble, report them to me."
Suzuki: "?"
Roy: "Basically, find enemies society's okay with us taking out. Clear?"
Suzuki: "Clear, but what's your goal?"
Roy: "Love and peace."
Suzuki: "?"
Does your conscience not hurt saying that?
Watching Roy wake Koyama's group and half-coerce, half-bribe them into Akatsuki, Suzuki scratched his head.
He didn't buy Roy's reason for a second.
But…
"If you're interested in Claw, I can give you intel."
"Including my deadbeat dad, I know where all Claw's cadres are."
"I know you're eager, but hold off."
Handing Suzuki a business card, Roy summoned a magic circle. "Handle the cleanup here. I've got stuff to do. See you tomorrow."
"Huh?"
Suzuki blinked as Roy vanished mid-sentence.
After a pause, he sighed, turning to the dazed Koyama and others. "Snap out of it. Time to work."
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