Note: This chapter contains 2916 words. The main theme deals with how they will obtain what they seek, the interaction with the one who gave them power, and, of course, the interactions among the protagonists. If it feels tedious, you can skip it. Of course, if you do, you may not understand some things later, but I believe that will make it more interesting.
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Zefir calmly observed the people present, scanning each face.
The silence in the room was almost palpable, and although no one spoke, he could feel the tension in the air.
Everyone looked at him differently: with distrust, curiosity, or even cold indifference.
Nevertheless, the atmosphere seemed still under his control, as if he were a king sitting on his throne.
Lelouch, who was seated to his left, was the first to break the silence. His violet eyes scrutinized him intensely, his mind already evaluating every word and gesture of Zefir. "You're not a god, but you speak as if you are above us," he remarked calmly, yet laced with challenge. "What makes you think we would accept your offer without questioning you first?"
Light, seated to his right, gave a slight smile, intertwining his hands on the table. "True." He looked at Zefir directly and continued, "While it's an interesting offer, the terms are unclear. What do you expect from us in return?"
L, who had been on the floor until recently and was now seated near Senku, tilted his head slightly, like a curious crow. But his large dark eyes kept analyzing every detail of Zefir.
Senku, always direct, reclined on the armchair with his arms crossed. "Cutting to the chase would be nice. If you have something to say or show us, do it now. I'm not a fan of word games or subtlety."
Keima, on the other hand, was watching Zefir with less interest than the others, not too intrigued by the offer. He adjusted his glasses and sighed. A poorly crafted introduction. I hope at least he has a decent tutorial to explain the rules of this "offer".
Yuuichi leaned on the table, arms crossed, smiling almost nonchalantly. "It's always interesting when someone who seems to have everything under control shows up with these kinds of proposals. But tell me, why us? There are thousands of people in the world who would accept your offer without a second thought."
Shinichi remained silent, observing Zefir with a thoughtful expression.
Meanwhile, Kiyotaka stayed as silent as always, watching the conversation unfold.
Zefir let out a faint smile, a gesture that seemed more like a formality than a genuine expression.
One question after another, he thought, with an unshakable calm, almost amused. Do they really expect me to answer in order?
Finally, he spoke with the same calm as before. "Very well, I'll start with the briefing...". He paused, locking eyes with each of them. "I'd like to have enough time to explain it. So, until I'm finished speaking, do not interrupt me. Understood?"
Zefir took a brief moment of silence, as if waiting for the unspoken confirmation from those present before continuing.
His blue eyes radiated an imposing calm, and although the room was still, it seemed to carry an even heavier weight.
Lelouch squinted but remained silent, leaning back slightly in his seat while crossing his legs. He wouldn't say anything else for now; Zefir had taken control of the conversation, and Lelouch was too astute to interrupt and reveal any unnecessary weakness.
Light, for his part, showed a faint, almost imperceptible smile. Zefir's authoritative tone intrigued him, but what really caught his interest was the possibility of obtaining "the power to do whatever he wanted." He decided to play the role of an attentive listener, at least for now.
L didn't react physically, but his mind continued processing Zefir's words and the environment with the speed of a supercomputer. He knew that hidden details always appeared in the most insignificant moments, so he simply nodded slightly to indicate he would listen.
Senku clicked his tongue lightly, leaning back in the armchair with his arms still crossed. "Make it quick, then. I prefer to get to the point."
Yuuichi adopted an expression of complete neutrality, though in his mind, he was already considering possible strategies. Not interrupting... Does this mean he has something to fear that we might question or detect if we're allowed to intervene? This could be fun.
Shinichi tilted his head, with a slight expression of interest. He wasn't about to accept anything blindly, but had no reason to provoke Zefir just yet.
Keima barely seemed impressed. He adjusted his glasses again, waiting for Zefir's words.
Kiyotaka remained perfectly still, watching silently.
Seeing that everyone was willing to listen, Zefir nodded approvingly. "Good. There's no need for further preamble," he began, his voice resonating in the room with a firmness that was almost hypnotic.
"Each of you comes from a different world, with your own laws and realities. You may have heard of the theory of alternate universes. You can think of it as a metaphor… or a literal truth."
Zefir's eyes glinted with a barely perceptible flash, and his tone became even more persuasive.
"Now, let's talk about power. The ability I've granted you is called 'Devour.' Don't be fooled by the harshness of the name; it's not a literal act, but a manifestation of your capacity to absorb what others have left behind."
He raised his hand with an elegant gesture, and suddenly, several figures appeared in the room.
The newcomers were shackled, their orange uniforms betraying them as condemned prisoners.
A chill ran through those present.
With an almost imperceptible flick of his fingers, Zefir decapitated the prisoners.
They fell like puppets whose strings had been cut. The impact of their bodies hitting the floor echoed in the room: thud… thud… thud...
Without flinching, Zefir uttered a single word:
"Devour."
In the blink of an eye, the corpses vanished.
Not a trace of blood was left, nor any sign they had ever been there. Only the silence and Zefir's unshakable gaze remained.
"This," he said, calmly sitting back in his chair, "is just a sample of what you can achieve. The word 'Devour' is the key that activates this ability, but simply saying it isn't enough. You must also have the intention to execute it."
He paused, taking a sip of tea with an almost theatrical elegance before continuing.
"Of course, like any power, this ability has restrictions. The first: only technically dead targets can be devoured. This means they must fulfill the irreversible loss of consciousness or the inability to breathe spontaneously. Without these conditions, the ability won't activate."
He allowed that revelation to sink in before proceeding.
"The second restriction is more complex. Every time you devour someone, a holographic window will appear asking if you wish to acquire the target's memories. While it may seem tempting to absorb everything at once, you should know that an overload of information can be dangerous. In the worst case, you might lose your identity. For this reason, I've added an option to automatically reject all notifications."
Zefir gave a brief smile, but there was a hint of warning in his gaze.
"Now, the benefits. Every time you use this ability, your physical strength, spiritual energy, and vitality will increase. The memories you acquire may be valuable, but they won't always be. For example, I myself have just turned 312 years old, and as you can see, I'm in an enviable state."
He allowed a smug smile before becoming more serious.
"However, there is a condition. The ability is tied to a contract. You'll only receive 10% of the initial benefits. The rest will go to me. But you can increase that percentage by fulfilling certain requirements."
Zefir pointed to the air, and some of those present noticed for the first time a counter in the upper right corner of their field of vision.
"As you can see, the counter starts at 1. That's the number of targets you must devour to increase the benefits by 1%. Once you complete it, the counter will update to 10, and the benefits will increase to 11%. Once you devour 10 targets, the counter will update to 100, and the benefits will increase to 12%. In short, as you complete the counter, the percentage of benefits will increase by 1%, up to 100%."
He paused to take another sip of tea, letting the scale of sacrifices and rewards sink in.
"Once you reach 100%, the ability will be entirely yours. At that point, you will no longer be mere 'part-time workers,' but the true masters of your fate."
He leaned slightly forward, as if sharing a secret. "Of course, if you decide not to complete the contract or fail to do so, there will be no direct or indirect consequences. Nothing will change. The deadline for fulfilling it extends until the natural end of your lives, which means fate has already set that limit."
Zefir allowed that statement to settle before continuing.
"Now, let's talk about the methods," he said, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "I will provide you with a tool to travel between worlds. Places where the targets not only abound, but wait, in their ignorance, to be taken. Worlds carefully selected and meticulously organized, each facing a unique calamity: zombies, demons, extraterrestrials, monsters... even humans themselves."
The silence in the room grew dense, as if the air had taken on weight.
"The objective is simple: complete the counter. How you do it is your decision. However, each world will be more dangerous than the last, and death is not an improbability, even in the first levels. Therefore, my recommendation: complete the counter at least four times before moving on to the next world."
Zefir took a small snack and tasted it slowly, as if savoring not only the food but also the palpable tension in the air.
"Now then, I will grant you some tools."
With a gesture of his hand, three sleek black boxes appeared in front of each of the individuals present. Zefir observed with interest their reactions as they opened the boxes.
Inside, there were three accessories: a necklace with a rectangular black pendant framed in blue crystal, a bracelet of black beads with silver details, and a tungsten ring of deep black.
"These accessories will be your guide and your support," Zefir explained, his tone filled with authority. "The necklace and the bracelet will allow you to travel between worlds. The necklace will allow you to instantly return to any world you have visited before, including this one. The bracelet will open a portal to the next world on the list. The ring, on the other hand, will allow you to communicate with one another."
He paused, evaluating their reactions before detailing the instructions.
"The necklace is activated with the command 'The World'. To use it, you must have the name of the world you wish to go to in your mind. The name of the world you see now will be engraved on the pendant in a few minutes. Until then, the name that is engraved is that of your respective worlds. Memorize it. The bracelet uses the command 'New World'. The ring requires the command 'Message' and the intention directed at the recipient, as long as they are also wearing a matching ring."
Zefir let out a small smile before adding: "Each accessory is designed to link with you. Every time you use it, it will temporarily merge with your body. If you wish to take it off, or simply not use this function, it will return to its original form. They will not break under normal circumstances, but if you lose them, there will be no replacements."
He raised a hand, as if recalling a crucial detail. "Ah, and to motivate you: every time you complete the counter, you will receive a reward. You will be able to choose from a variety of options, many of them unique and designed to suit your interests. I can guarantee you will find something worth having."
He leaned back in his chair, letting his words settle like a seed in fertile soil. The silence returned to the room, but this time it was filled with curiosity and a slight unease.
Zefir crossed his legs and looked at each of them, his gaze penetrating yet serene. Finally, he broke the silence with a simple question, yet one laden with implications.
"Before I conclude the briefing... any questions?"
Kiyotaka maintained his impassive expression, observing Zefir with the same calculated neutrality as always. There was no urgency in his actions, but he took mental note of every detail: the rules, the restrictions, and the "incentives" carefully placed.
Finally, he spoke in a calm, direct tone. "What is the ultimate purpose behind granting us this ability? Why us?"
Light let out a faint smile, crossing his arms while staring at the ring in the box before him. His sharp, ambitious gaze turned to Zefir. "You say the ability will be fully under our control when we reach 100%. But what will happen to you? Will you stop benefiting from the contract?"
Lelouch, seated calmly, tilted his head slightly to the side. "These worlds you mention... who controls their flow? Do you choose the calamities and the targets, or is everything governed by an external force? Also, what guarantees us that we are not just pawns in a larger game?"
Senku examined the accessories without hiding his skepticism, spinning the ring between his fingers with one eyebrow raised. "You spoke of physical restrictions and specific commands. How 'scientific' is this ability? Does it operate under established rules that can be studied and replicated, or is it pure magic?"
L was sitting peculiarly, knees drawn to his chest, his fingers idly toying with the box. His piercing eyes never left Zefir. "The text window you mentioned… who controls it? Is it an independent system, or is there an intelligence behind it?"
Shinichi remained silent, paying attention to the words of the others.
Yuuichi reclined in his chair, a calm yet dangerous smile on his lips. "This sounds like a well-calculated deal, Zefir. But tell me, what do you gain from all of this? There's always a hidden cost, even in the most attractive contracts."
Keima barely looked up from his portable console, which he had pulled out at some point without anyone noticing. There will be no direct or indirect consequences if the contract is broken, but nothing in this world—or any other—is that simple.
All eyes were fixed on Zefir, awaiting his responses.
Zefir, as if he had anticipated each of the questions, waited a few seconds before answering, his tone devoid of urgency, almost as if he were speaking about a trivial matter.
"The holographic windows are merely a manifestation of a pre-programmed system," he explained, without altering the calmness in his voice. "Though, of course, I have the ability to activate or deactivate them as I see fit."
His gaze turned directly to Senku, his eyes reflecting a mix of curiosity and intellectual challenge.
"Yes, there are scientific principles behind everything you see," he added, with a slight gesture toward the surrounding environment. "But don't expect to understand it immediately. There are energies and forces that transcend human knowledge, concepts that are beyond your current comprehension."
He paused deliberately, allowing the idea of the unknown and the unattainable to sink deeply into the present before continuing.
"As for your participation, that decision lies entirely with you. If you prefer to return to your worlds and continue with your lives as they were destined, you are free to do so. I will not interfere with your fate, either directly or indirectly."
His eyes settled on each one of them, conveying a mix of serenity and authority.
"This conversation is not an imposition, but an invitation. If you choose to reject what I offer, I will accept it without resentment. That ability to decide for yourselves, to exercise your free will, is precisely one of the reasons I admire you."
He leaned slightly forward, intertwining his fingers on the table. A slight smile formed on his lips, ambiguous and enigmatic, as difficult to decipher as his intentions.
"As for your doubt about my trustworthiness," he continued, his tone slightly softer but loaded with intent, "that is a question I cannot resolve with words. It is something that only time can answer. My role here is not to convince you, but to offer you possibilities."
He let the silence fill the space, creating an atmosphere thick enough to be felt.
His words resonated in the minds of those present, leaving behind a trail of uncertainty that mingled with a growing desire to know more.
And then, without warning, Zefir vanished, as if he had never been there. In his place remained an unsettling emptiness, an absence that weighed more than his presence.
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Note: As a college student, I don't really have much time to write. The 10 chapters you read were the ones I wrote in 3 months. Although there is still one more chapter, and many other incomplete ones.
You can imagine that this fanfiction is very ambitious. It will take me a while to get another 10 chapters written.
Until then, you'll probably forget this story exists, but I thank you for reading it.
I wish you the best, dear reader.