"Lum?"
Lum jolted on hearing that quiet voice, and then she looked up to see a young blonde girl with amethyst eyes standing at the doorway to her room. She was dressed in a white jumpsuit with a bursting sun-like insignia on her chest. To the Oni princess' surprise, the girl had a small tray in hand, it holding a bowl of what appeared to be rice topped with cooked meat sprinkled with a very nice spice that tickled her nose with the same delight Earth spices such as red pepper powder did. Despite the fact that this girl was one of them, Lum did feel quite hungry. And if she was to be a hostage so these people could get her Darling's new sister to do their bidding, it was smart not to do anything. While she didn't know a lot about them, it didn't take her too long to realise that someone called "Infinity" HAD to be very powerful.
"We're over Earth," the girl — Dynamo, Lum recalled her name — said as she walked in to place the tray on the bed. "Cadaverine's scanning for Infinity and Rake right now. As soon as we meet up with them, we'll make the scene. Once we get what we want, we'll let you go and that's that."
Lum blinked, and then she took the tray and placed it in her lap. Picking up the fork-like utensil beside the bowl, she dug in. The spices quickly flooded her body with tingly warmth, it easily mixing with the rich taste in the meat to make this simple snack quite enjoyable. "Hostage situations don't always go that easy, you know," the Oni then warned the young Yizibajohei.
A shrug. "Perhaps. But it's worth trying given what's happened to us." She then paused before a giggle escaped her. "Oh, that's right! You really don't know anything about us! I keep forgetting that!"
Lum stared at her, inwardly surprised that despite being on a ship full of them, she wasn't as scared as she was when Cadaverine had woken her up. While she certainly had a lot to fear — especially given what her actions concerning her husband had ended up provoking — it wasn't as acute as it was a few hours before. "What do you mean?" she asked.
Dynamo sighed. "If this doesn't work, the chances are there I'll be dead before I reach your age. That's the same for all of us."
Silence.
"Tcha…!" Lum gasped.
"It's true," Dynamo asserted. "My powers are what's keeping yours in check. They also helped us shut down all the security systems at your house when Hypersonic went in to grab you and take you to our ship. But in all the various generations I've been alive, I've never developed the control I needed to ensure my powers don't burn me out from the inside. No one's really been around to help me do that. It's one of the downsides of our way of life."
A lot more downsides than you think! part of Lum then mused as she tried to mask the surprise she felt on hearing one of them assert that something was actually wrong with their society.
From what Lum had learned about them — most of her knowledge had come from information gleaned from several of her father's personal aides, not to mention the odd scientist or two — she knew they lived in a society where there were no social order governing the natives. The head-of-state — a president, just like many republics on Earth and some alien societies the Urusians dealt with — was a powerless figurehead. There was said to be something of a bureaucracy on that world, but it didn't really do much other than maintain habitation services such as food supplies, building repairs and the like. There was no real economy, no trade of goods, no sense of wealth whatsoever, nothing other races saw as valuable that could attract commerce between that world and others. They had no armed forces, either, but on a planet where everyone had some form of paranormal abilities — with the most powerful of them said to be equal to the dark lord of Apokalips or the Choosin the Juraians believed in…!
To Lum, there were just too many things wrong with that picture!
"So what makes you think Darling's sister will help?"
"Well, Rake did care for you when he was still a norm," Dynamo asserted. "And his feelings would have carried over to Infinity when she was split away from him. If we threatened to dunk you into the Crystal and turn you into one of us…?"
Lum jerked, her eyes widening in fear.
Meanwhile, down in Tomobiki…
"Eh?"
"What's that?"
"What's what?"
"EEEW! What's that smell?!"
Eyes turned outside to see a shuffling crowd of what at first glance would be people, spanning all the known age groups, stagger past. But given that their bodies had just been put back together again with the power of a certain child from another world…
"ZOMBIES!"
"Eh?"
Ataru looked up from his tea. "Something the matter, Onee-chan?"
Tariko blinked as she felt a strange, almost nauseating, wave of energy warp past her, and then she looked outside their bedroom window. Sakura and Shinobu had long since gone home to attend to their own affairs and Kinshou was currently downstairs preparing supper. Muchi wouldn't be expected home until much later that evening. No announcement had been made by the Tomobiki public school board concerning when school would reopen for everyone.
"Something weird is happening," Tariko then stated. "Feels like…"
"What?" Ataru asked.
The telephone on the main floor rang. "I have it!" Kinshou called out as she walked out of the kitchen to answer it, and then she picked up the receiver. "Moshi-moshi, Moroboshi-ke. Who's this?"
Ataru and Tariko walked out of their bedroom to gaze on their mother just as Kinshou's eyes went as wide as saucers on hearing what was being said. "EH?! IS THAT TRUE?!" she demanded, and then she remained silent as the other end answered. "Yes, I understand that! Thanks for telling that to me, Rui!"
She hung up. "Satoshi-san's mother?" Ataru asked on recognising the name Kinshou had used. "What's the matter, Okaa-san?"
"Don't tell me the idiots've tried to summon another space-taxi again?" Tariko wondered.
Kinshou stated at them. "It's worse, you two! Rui-san spotted a whole bunch of zombies walking down the street past her house!"
The twins jolted. "'ZOMBIES?!'"
Silence fell as they absorbed that, and then Tariko sighed. "Cadaverine?"
"It sounds very much like him," Ataru noted.
"Oh, joy…!"
"This just in!" a announcer blared over the television. In the upper right corner of the screen, there was a live-camera image, clearly taken from a helicopter over the city streets. "Somehow, a whole army of what appears to be zombies have been unleashed on the streets of Tomobiki! The initial reports do not confirm a source point or a potential controlling agent for these monsters! The police and the Self-Defence Forces are mobilizing at this time, with calls going out to the private forces of the Mendou Conglomerate and the Mizunokooji Conglomerate to assist…"
In Minato's Azabu-Juuban district, nine girls who had just got out of school instantly headed towards remote alleys to transform.
From another middle school in a different part of Tokyo, four other girls quickly scrambled into private places to do their own transformation.
At a home in a different part of the city, two girls looked up from their homework, and then they exchanged looks before looking at their yoma rings.
In the dormitory of a Catholic girl's school outside Tokyo, a girl quietly slipped out of her bedroom, whispering "Honey Flash!" to transform.
From another school in a different part of the metropolis, two girls ducked out from whatever they were doing, drawing their cell-phones along the way.
In Tomoeda, located not too far from Tomobiki and Tokyo, a young girl quickly summons her sealing wand and the Clow Book.
And in a certain okonomiyaki shop in Nerima…
"Cadaverine?"
"It's probably him, Ran-chan. He's the only guy I know of who's capable of reanimating ashes into walking dead corpses."
"Were any of us related to him in our past lives?"
"Not me, Ranma."
"Nor I, Ranma-sama."
"I wasn't either, Airen. But if Cadaverine is here…?"
Pause.
"Hypersonic's here, too!"
"Probably all the other Young Guns as well."
"Let's go, then!"
In another part of Nerima…
"Looks like a fight scene's brewing, old friend."
"What do you suppose the Young Guns are doing here, M.F.?"
"We better go help suppress this! I've always hated that kid's power!"
"You're not the only one."
And down Hinata way…
"Fight scene?"
"It appears one will brew up soon, especially with the Young Guns here."
"You know the cause of this madness, Matron-san?"
"Yes, I do, Miss Motoko. And I think I know what those kids'll be after."
"The Doll House? Infinity's NEVER gonna go for that!"
"Can't fault them for trying."
"True."
"We'll go help out, Matron. Tell Stoney we'll be back soon."
"Have fun."
And back in Tomobiki…
"Young Master, it appears the zombie army is arising from every cemetary in Tomobiki, including the clan's private plot!"
Hearing that, Mendou Shuutarou jerked as he gazed on his chief Kuromegane. He was currently aboard his private command helicopter, which was hovering over the downtown section of Tomobiki. "WHAT?! How's it possible they can arise from all the cemeteries?! Most people's bodies are cremated before burial!"
"Agreed, Young Master, but…wait!" the Kuromegane then gasped. "Sir, Reconnaissance Helicopter Nine has just reported spotting an oddly-dressed young man standing at the apex of the clock tower at Tomobiki High School!"
Mendou jolted. "How oddly dressed?"
"A style similar to the young lady who saved you and Mistress Asuka at the Tarouzakura earlier in the day, Young Master!"
His eyes went wide. Tariko-san…?
"Sir!" the pilot cried out.
Mendou looked forward, and then he gasped on seeing a certain lady in grey floating in front of the machine, giving him a friendly wave. As the crew and passengers watched in disbelief, she floated over to the side door. One of the Kuromegane instantly opened it, allowing her to float aboard. Once she was inside, he closed the door to allow everyone to talk normally. "Yo!" Infinity called out as she gazed on Mendou. "Mind asking your folks down on the ground to keep the crowds controlled and away from the zombies?" she then asked. "In a situation like this, panic's almost definitely assured!"
"Do you know the person responsible for this madness?" he demanded.
"Cadaverine," Infinity responded. "He's what's called a 'necromancer' here on Earth, Shuutarou-kun." Ignoring the shocked look on Mendou's face on hearing this female version of Moroboshi Ataru call him "Shuutarou-kun," she continued, "His is the power to literally reanimate anything that's dead, regardless of how long it's BEEN dead. Buried, cremated, left out in the wilderness for the scavengers to snack on, it doesn't matter; he can make it live again."
"Gods!" one of the other Kuromegane croaked out.
"We've spotted someone — a child, in fact — who might be this fellow on the clock tower at Tomobiki High School," Mendou then reported.
Infinity took that in, and then she nodded. "Fair enough. He'll need a high place to work his magic." She then turned to leave, and then she looked back. "Oh, by the way: He normally works with a group that's called the 'Young Guns.' Don't let their age fool you; they're ALL quite powerful. If your people see anything in a costume, tell them to avoid at all costs! Okay?!"
"Hai!" Mendou promised.
With that, Infinity vanished in a flash of light. Mendou stared at the place she had been, and then he breathed out. Good luck, Tariko-san…
"Ah, it's been a while since I've cut loose like this…!"
"Hey, Cadavvie!"
Cadaverine jolted on hearing that voice, and then he looked up to see a familar figure in grey floating metres ahead and just over his eye level, her arms crossed and a very displeased look on her face. Seeing her, the necromancer grinned. "Hey, Infy! Why are you slumming on this planet of norms, anyway?! What's the matter?! Home isn't what it's been for you these days?!"
"I'll come home when it damn hell pleases me to come home," Infinity asserted. "What's the big idea reanimating all the corpses in town? There are easier ways of getting in contact with me, you know!"
A shrug. "A guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do, Infy! 'Sides, you can probably guess what my friends and I want!" He then smirked. "And you're gonna give it us this time, Infy! Be very assured of that!"
Infinity sighed. "The Doll House…?"
"Right," he drawled out.
"Sorry. No deal."
Hearing that, Cadaverine's smile grew a little wider. "Nice to know that you still haven't really changed over the incarnations, Infy!" he declared before raising his hand and snapping his fingers. "But since I already guessed you'd say that, I decided to bring a little insurance this time."
"DARLING!"
Infinity jolted, and then she spun right to see…
"LUM-SAN!" Mendou screamed out.
"Lum…?"
Immediately, Ataru raced out of his house for the school.
"Amazing you still got some feelings for this same," Cadaverine said. Lum was now floating in the air thanks to Accretor and Dynamo, arms and legs now bound in place. Cimasa and Tzaraath hovered close by, the latter's hands ungloved to allow her to unleash a deadly plague on the hapless Oni in case she tried to resist. Hypersonic was on the roof to Cadaverine's left. What was worse, a warp-gate was open behind the Oni, the dark tunnel leading to the Great Crystal itself lying beyond. Seeing how close Lum was to being made Yizibajohei herself, Infinity grimaced as she glared at the chief of the Young Guns.
"She turned around, decided to spread a fungi plague all over your planet, then threatened to wipe out all your norm friends of their memories of her!" Cadaverine continued his rant. "Classic same behaviour if you ask me! Why you still care for her, I don't know and I don't want to know!" His eyes then narrowed. "So here's the deal: You give us access to the House so we can make new bodies for ourselves — or else, to quote the Extreme Archaist, SHE'S GOING TO BE MADE TO CONFORM!"
Hearing his threat, Lum then paled as she screamed out, "DARLING, DON'T LET THEM DO THIS TO ME!"
Shit…! Infinity thought as…
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