Upon receiving Morpheus's response, Sonoko's face fell.
Tomoko Suzuki's heart sank. "What did Lord Morpheus say?"
Sonoko replied, "He said he's not interested."
Tomoko felt a pang of disappointment but didn't doubt Sonoko's honesty. She knew her daughter wasn't the type to lie to family.
Shiro Suzuki said, "If he's not interested, so be it. As long as Lord Morpheus isn't angry, that's fine."
Sonoko waved a hand, gesturing reassurance. "Don't worry, Dad. Lord Morpheus is good-natured, not some petty deity."
"Even if you can't become his followers, it doesn't stop you from getting stronger."
"These Blacklight Serums are for you. They'll grant a powerful immortal body, boost your strength, and extend your lifespan."
"Give them a try."
At Sonoko's urging, Shiro Suzuki, Tomoko Suzuki, and Ayako Suzuki each injected the Blacklight Serum.
By the next morning, their bodies had undergone dramatic changes.
Their appearances remained largely the same, but their muscles and bones had become denser.
Shiro Suzuki stepped onto a scale and found his weight had increased several times over since yesterday.
His muscles were now incredibly compact. When he clenched his fist, the air popped with a muffled bang.
An invisible shockwave burst from his palm.
This was unreal.
Tomoko Suzuki experienced similar changes. When she ran a butter knife across her arm, it didn't even leave a scratch—no mark at all.
Ayako Suzuki could lift a solid wooden dining table weighing hundreds of pounds with one hand, swinging it effortlessly as if it were a rag.
The Blacklight Serum had transformed all three of them.
After breakfast, Shiro Suzuki handed Sonoko several documents.
"Sonoko, these are for you."
"What are they?"
Curious, Sonoko skimmed the papers. They were all company transfer agreements.
Shiro Suzuki explained, "These are some of the Suzuki conglomerate's most promising subsidiaries. As of today, you're their majority shareholder."
"You said you wanted to build a major faction to serve Lord Morpheus, right?"
"Creating a faction requires money and manpower."
"These companies are your foundation."
Sonoko agreed with her father's logic, but as the second daughter of the Suzuki conglomerate, she'd only ever focused on fun, never business.
That had always been her sister Ayako's domain.
Now tasked with managing them, Sonoko felt a wave of worry, fearing she'd mismanage and bankrupt the companies.
She had some self-awareness about her capabilities.
Tomoko Suzuki saw her daughter's concern and said, exasperated, "You refused to take on the company back then, and now you regret it, don't you?"
Sonoko lowered her head, mumbling, "Don't scold me. I was just a bit playful back then."
Tomoko sighed and continued, "Ayako will manage these companies for you for now, but you need to learn how to run them yourself, got it?"
Sonoko nodded eagerly, glancing at her sister. Ayako smiled at her younger sibling.
"You can't be as carefree as before, Sonoko."
Sonoko nodded vigorously, patting her chest, vowing she was a changed person and would study diligently, no longer slacking off.
But inwardly, she was scheming how to lean on her sister to do the heavy lifting.
Sorry, nee-san, it's all for Lord Morpheus.
You'll just have to deal with it.
Maybe I'll put in a good word with Lord Morpheus to make you a follower too.
He said no last night, but that doesn't mean he won't change his mind later, right?
That morning, Morpheus, who'd been playing the slacker for a while, decided to visit school for a change, craving a taste of student life.
As he approached the academy gates, he received a prayer from Miko.
"Lord Morpheus, where are you right now?"
"At school. What's up? Need something?"
Hearing his response, Miko's voice brimmed with excitement.
"Lord Morpheus, I'll come to you right away. Where are you at school?"
Morpheus replied, "Let's meet at the entrance to the main building."
"Got it, I'm on my way."
As Morpheus reached the main building's entrance, Miko came rushing out.
Seeing her frantic expression, he approached, soothing her, "Take it easy. Even if the sky falls, I've got it covered. Relax, take a deep breath."
Following his advice, Miko took a deep breath, calming herself.
"Alright, now tell me what happened."
Miko nodded, glancing around. Realizing the entrance wasn't the place to talk, she said cautiously, "Can we go somewhere else?"
"Of course."
Morpheus noticed the curious stares from passing students, some whispering about whether he and Miko were dating.
He promptly led her to the rooftop.
The morning rooftop was empty, the air crisp and fresh.
"Now you can talk, right?"
Miko nodded and explained what had happened.
"Lord Morpheus, I'm not entirely sure what's going on."
"Just earlier, while I was chatting with Hana, my Spirit Sight activated on its own, and I saw a horrifying future."
Mentioning it, a trace of fear lingered on Miko's face.
This piqued Morpheus's interest.
Her Spirit Sight activating on its own? That was no small matter.
Miko was his follower, empowered by his strength. Controlling her Spirit Sight shouldn't be an issue.
Yet it had activated independently.
Something was very wrong.
Morpheus narrowed his eyes, asking, "What was the horrifying future you saw?"
"Hell."
Miko's expression was grave. "Lord Morpheus, I saw hell descend upon the human world—black and white inverted, light and darkness unbalanced, a yokai parade roaming in daylight. The human world turned into hell."
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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