"Dying is not repaying a debt. That is not what he saved you for. Only weak men would die after someone spared their lives"
— Itachi Uchiha, Naruto Shippuden
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Roy sighed inwardly. He hadn't expected this to happen.
"Let's go. Based on what Shizuka told us about Rika's work, if I'm not mistaken, she should be at the offshore airport. We'll head there first and see if we find her."
"But the cars are all useless now. How are we supposed to get there?" Shizuka asked worriedly.
"Shizuka's friend is part of a special forces unit. The car she left behind should have some kind of EMP prote. If that fails, we'll just have to fly."
With that, Roy swept Yuriko into a princess carry and flew towards the vehicle.
Since most of Yuriko's demonic piece power was used to struct her physical body, she couldn't even ma her devil wings. He had no choice but to carry her.
Being carried like this, ly in Saya's jacket, made Yuriko blush deeply.
However, now that she had a new life, such s seemed trivial. She would entrust everything to the person before her, the one who had granted her this rebirth.
The group returo the car, and as Roy predicted, it was ued by the EMP.
Shizuka took the wheel, and they set off for the offshore airport.
"Mom, seriously, you please put some clothes on?" Saya said, exasperated, looking at her mother.
Ever since Roy had carried her back, Yuriko had refused to get down. Was this really her mother?
Saya briefly wondered if something had gone wrong with the reination ritual, and her mother had been reborn as a succubus.
"There's nothing I do. Saya's clothes are too small, and Mommy's too tired to move," Yuriko whined, ging to Roy with a mixture of coquettishness and stubbornness.
Roy observed his creation with satisfa. Normally, demonic pieces offered a ce of reination only immediately after death. Reinating someone long deceased was impossible. Moreover, normal pieces couldn't create a new body from a soul.
This was the power of his mutated piece; it could create a physical form directly from a soul. That's how Yuriko had been reborn. Roy had also discovered that during the creation process, he could manipute the age of the new body.
Furthermore, due to being his creation, those rebor a strong sense of dependeowards him.
"Mom, these are Shizuka-sensei's clothes. They're big enough. Please put them on!"
Exasperated, Saya resorted to using Shizuka's clothes.
Looking at her mother, Saya felt a pang of jealousy. Yuriko was like a more mature version of herself.
Roy, sensing the rising tension, finally put Yuriko dowuring for her to get dressed. He couldn't maintain his posure much longer.
With no other option, Yuriko relutly put on Shizuka's clothes.
...
Several hours ter, they finally reached the viity of the offshore airport.
The roads leading to the airport were pletely blocked, making it impossible to drive any further.
They had to abandon the car.
Roy carried Alice as they disembarked.
Alice had recovered from her earlier trauma, proving to be a remarkably resilient little girl.
"We'll fly the rest of the way! Saya, take your mother. Let's go!"
With that, Roy unfurled his devil wings and soared into the air.
Saeko and Shizuka quickly followed.
"Saya, I'll leave it to you," Yuriko said to her daughter with a smile.
"I know, I know," Saya grumbled, pulling Yuriko up and spreading her own devil wings.
"Wow! It's so beautiful!" Alice excimed from Roy's arms, gazing at the shimmering o below.
For a moment, she seemed tet all her worries.
Even the girls behind them were captivated by the breathtaking sery.
Their admiration was short-lived, however. They soon arrived at the offshore airport.
The entire airport had fallen, overrun by hordes of zombies.
"Rika!!" Shizuka cried out, fearing for her friend's safety.
"Don't worry, it hasn't been long since you called. Rika should still be alive," Roy reassured her.
"Yes!" Shizuka nodded firmly.
"Let's fly to the airport's tral terminal and look for her," Roy said, looking towards the ter of the airport, where he sensed signs of life.
Reag the tral terminal, they saw a rge group of zombies surrounding an armored vehicle.
There had to be survivors inside.
"Roy-!" Shizuka pleaded, looking at him with wide, worried eyes.
"Don't worry, leave it to me."
Holding Alice securely with one arm, Roy aimed his free hand at the armored vehicle.
"Magic Bullet!"
Several bsts of demoniergy shot from his hand.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Explosions rocked the area, sending the tightly packed zombies flying. Only a few scattered undead remained, shuffling towards the vehicle.
"Saeko!" Roy called.
"Uood!"
Without needing further expnation, Saeko grasped his i.
She desded swiftly, her wooden katana a blur as she effitly dispatched the remaining zombies.
Ihan a mihe area around the armored vehicle was clear.
"Let's go down," Roy said, leading the others down to the vehicle.
"Hey, Rika, are you in there?" Shizuka called out, knog on the door.
The armored vehicle's windows were opaque, preventing them from seeing inside.
"Cough, cough... Is that Shizuka?" a female voice responded, followed by the sound of the door opening.
"It really is you, Rika!" Shizuka beamed, reag out for a hug.
Rika, however, stopped her.
"Cough... cough... Shizuka, I'm so gd to see you before I die. I don't know how you got here, but you o leave, now!" Rika said, her face pale.
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