Chapter 97: Silver Soul (Earth Arc)

[With great power comes great responsibility.]

“What is this?” More than a month after the afro incident, Takeya Okakura had returned to her normal work routine. But today, as soon as she arrived at her office, she saw a piece of paper on her desk with those very words written on it.

“Who’s been watching too much Spider-Man and came here to feed me some cheesy motivational quotes? Osai!”

Hearing Okakura’s call, Osai approached and asked, “Minister, is something wrong?”

Okakura handed him the note, raising an eyebrow. “Who came to my office this morning?”

Osai glanced at the paper and thought for a moment. “The cleaning lady was in your office this morning, and besides her, only I was here.”

“Then Osai, did you leave this note?” Okakura asked.

“No, Minister. I have no interest in Earth’s Superman legends,” Osai replied, shaking his head.

Could it be that the cleaning lady recently got obsessed with Spider-Man and slipped the note onto her desk? Okakura didn’t dwell on it; she had more pressing matters today.

“Osai, I heard there’s a new development at customs?” Okakura sat down and opened the files.

“Yes, Minister. Customs officers suspect members of the Aotu Cult have infiltrated Earth,” Osai said.

“The Aotu Cult—the extremist religious group wanted throughout the universe?” Okakura asked.

“Yes. The core members of the Aotu Cult possess both male and female characteristics. The cult was founded by these intersex individuals, but paradoxically, they enforce strict gender distinctions. They preach that gender must be rigorously divided and believe those who are neither fully male nor female deserve the wrath of their deity, Aotu. Yet, these intersex founders are considered the gods’ emissaries,” Osai explained.

“Ridiculous,” Okakura scoffed. “Whether man or woman, who says men must like weapons and not Barbie dolls, or women must prefer buying clothes instead of... well, other things? Instead of policing others’ preferences, maybe they should discuss Edgar Hoover’s wardrobe.”

“Minister, that may be true, but since we oversee customs supervision, it’s our responsibility if Aotu Cult members sneak onto Earth. We have to find and apprehend them before they spread their extremist doctrines,” Osai said firmly.

“I understand...” Okakura sighed. Since taking charge of customs supervision, she’d realized how many bizarre aliens liked to cause trouble on Earth. She couldn’t fathom why such a so-called ‘backwater’ planet attracted their attention.

“So, have you tracked any Aotu Cult members?”

“Though we don’t have their exact locations, we’re certain they’re operating around Kabukicho,” Osai said seriously.

“Kabukicho again...” Okakura sighed. If the pro-imperial loyalists favored attacking distribution hubs, the Celestials always targeted Kabukicho. Every time trouble broke out, Kabukicho bore the brunt.

And Kabukicho was known for its transgender community. Could these Aotu Cult members really proselytize there without issue?

Okakura massaged her forehead, exhausted. “There’s so much going on in the department lately, we’re short-staffed, and the higher-ups won’t let us hire new personnel. We’re swamped.”

“Minister, be careful what you say,” Osai warned anxiously.

“You’re too nervous, Osai. It’s fine. They won’t suddenly pop up just because of a few complaints,” Okakura said nonchalantly, shrugging.

Boom! A rocket launcher round shattered the office window. Okakura’s calm expression instantly froze.

“Don’t tell me the higher-ups really want to kill me over my complaints?” Okakura asked, turning to Osai.

“Impossible, Minister!”

No sooner had Osai spoken than bullets rained toward their position. Okakura quickly pulled Osai aside, kicking him into a corner.

“Who’s there?” Okakura brandished a spiked club to defend herself. She ran to the window and saw a man on the rooftop opposite, wearing a white mask and wrapped in a black headscarf.

He was wrapped so tightly he looked either like a ninja assassin or a lunatic. Judging by the situation, probably the former.

The masked man noticed Okakura spotting him but didn’t dodge. Instead, he raised a cardboard sign.

Squinting, Okakura read the words aloud:

“With great power comes great responsibility.”

Ah, so the guy who left that note earlier this morning was him? What was he trying to say? Could he stop cosplaying Spider-Man quotes? It was so embarrassing.

The masked man raised another sign.

“I’m waiting downstairs. If you don’t come, I’ll…”

Okakura’s face flushed bright red. That bastard was threatening her with some kind of video!

Damn it—she had to catch him!

Bursting out of the Galactic Police Alliance headquarters, Okakura spotted the masked man now standing across the street. She waited patiently for the light to turn green and dashed forward—but the masked man ran off as well...

“What’s going on? What does that guy want?” Okakura hesitated but then gave chase.

He was fast—faster than she thought possible. No matter how quickly she ran, he stayed ahead, leaping and dodging like a rat. Catching him was impossible.

“What a slippery rat,” Okakura grumbled in frustration.

Suddenly, the masked man vanished. No, more accurately, he disappeared—like mist dissolving into the crowd.

What was this? Could a human really vanish like that? Who was he?

Why would he suddenly disappear here?

Looking around, Okakura realized she was standing in the heart of Kabukicho.

“Kabukicho...” she murmured. There had to be a reason he disappeared here.

“Look! What’s that in the sky?!”

“Are aliens attacking Earth again?”

“Run!”

Screams echoed as chaos erupted. Okakura looked up to see a beam of white light closing in on Kabukicho.

How could this be? Just a moment ago, the sky was clear! Instinctively, she tried to run, but the light moved faster than she could take a single step—it was already landing.

Was this the end for her?

As the light struck, Okakura’s last thought was a deep regret over all the things she hadn’t done. She didn’t want to die...

Wait—she wasn’t dead at all. No pain anywhere. Eyes open, she still saw Kabukicho’s grimy streets and the bustling transgender crowd.

“What’s happening? Why have I become a woman?” A chest-baring woman screamed, clutching her breasts in anguish.

“Why do I have a beard on my face?!” A bearded man yelled at his reflection, furious.

“Ahhh! What is going on?!”

“No! I don’t want to become a man!”

“I don’t want to become a woman either!”

“...” Okakura.

Could it be she had joined the ranks of Kabukicho’s transgender community?

She tentatively reached down to check herself...

She’d been hit! No—suddenly a gun had sprouted from her crotch! A real, live gun!

“What is happening?” Okakura ran as fast as she could into the nearest department store restroom. Though she hesitated briefly between men’s and women’s, she ultimately trusted her heart and chose the women’s room.

Inside the stall, she pulled down her pants and stared in horror at the Armstrong cannon protruding from her lower half.

This was awful.

Doing this in a women’s restroom felt so perverted!

Though she had once transformed into a man inside the Manghun virtual world, that was just a mental construct. This time, her real body had turned male!

Okakura stepped out of the stall and faced the mirror.

“...” Okakura.

Handsome as she was, why had two horns grown atop her head?

She reached up to touch them, and the moment her palm brushed the tips, her body shuddered uncontrollably.

Touching those horns felt strangely pleasurable... Could they be the most sensitive point on her male form?

Ridiculous! Sensitive spots growing on your head were as troublesome as a Saiyan’s tail!

As Okakura examined her reflection, two kunai blades pressed against her neck.

The man on the left wore red glasses, had short lavender hair, delicate features, and an icy gaze.

The man on the right bore several scars, smoked a pipe, and had pale yellow eyes that glanced sideways at Okakura. He was incredibly handsome—probably the most handsome man she’d ever seen.

“Tell us! Were you originally a man or a woman?” they asked in unison.

“...” Okakura.

“A woman,” she answered.

The two men immediately lowered their kunai.

“Oh, good. Tsukitsuki, if you’re a woman too, I can relax about using the restroom,” said the man with red glasses, visibly relieved.

“If you need to go, hurry up, Sarutobi,” said the scarred man, blowing a smoke ring.

Tsukitsuki? Sarutobi? Could it be...

“Tsukiyomi? Sarutobi? Is that you?” Okakura asked in surprise.

“Huh? Who are you?” Tsukitsuki and Sarutobi looked equally shocked.

“It’s me—Takeya Okakura!” she said, pointing to herself.

They scanned her from the horns on her head to her feet, then gasped.

“No way! It really is you!”

“Yeah... that’s me...” Okakura twitched her mouth, understanding their shock.

Still, why had two ultra-sensitive horns grown on her head after she turned into a man?

Author’s note:

Tsk tsk, post-transition Tsukiyomi and little Sarutobi are both so handsome—especially Tsukiyomi; I’m practically bleeding just looking at him!

Hmm... the next chapter brings not sin, but silver.