Chapter 55: Atom Controller

[Third Person's Point of View]

Cherry blossoms tinged the city with beautiful hues of pink under the warm spring sun as Tokyo woke up to a rather late Sunday. August was clearly perplexed for a moment when he woke up from his sleep to the loud clanking sounds coming from the kitchen before he recalled yesterday's events.

'Mei is not supposed to be back for a few days,' he thought as he made his way toward the source of the sound.

Furnished with all modern amenities available to mankind, his kitchen appeared less like a cooking space and more like a battleground, with pots strewn around, scotch marks decorating the walls, and a burnt stench that hit him the moment he entered.

"Good Morning, Tohru," he greeted calmly.

"Oh?! Good morning, Augustus-san! You're up early!" The blond dragon-girl looked panicked as she fumbled with the dishes in the kitchen.

If his cooking skills could be considered a 'talent,' then burning down the kitchen to make breakfast was an even more impressive feat.

"Please have a seat at the table. I'll be there shortly."

He nodded as he sat at the dining table, where Tohru joined him soon after, placing a plate of steaming breakfast in front of him.

"Taa-daaa! I made breakfast!" She exclaimed with her hands wide open and a beaming smile on her face.

"Tohru, sit down. We need to talk," August said in a deadpan tone, his expression inscrutable.

Tohru's enthusiasm visibly deflated as she nervously took a seat across from him, meeting his gaze.

"First of all, who asked you to make breakfast?" August inquired.

"I thought I could help..."Tohru trailed off, her voice barely above a whisper.

August let out a sigh. "You don't have to force yourself to do anything. I didn't bring you here to be my maid, Tohru."

Tohru's expression fell, but then it perked up as she blurted out, "But I don't want to freeload off of you!"

"Then..." August thought for a moment before nodding, "You can be my assistant."

Tohru's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yes," August replied with a weary smile. "And you can still do the housework if you want."

"Haiii!" Tohru exclaimed, her smile returning in full force as she pushed the plate of food towards August. "Please try this!"

The sandwich on the plate looked tantalizing. The fluffy bread bore perfect grill marks, and the cheese sauce was drizzled over the medium-rare meat, which had a slightly greenish tint at its centre.

'Wait! Green?'

"Tohru," August sighed, picking up a sandwich and pointing at its green centre. "What kind of meat is this?"

"My tail! Roasted to perfection!" She proudly declared.

"..." His expression turned from bewilderment to disgust.

"Yep. This is no WAY I am eating this."

"Ehhhh?" Tohru looked shocked. "Would you like it well-done?"

"That's not the problem," He rubbed his forehead.

"Then I guarantee it'll suit your fancy!" Tohru winked with an out-of-place victory sign. "Dragon meat is very beneficial for devils!"

Indeed, dragon meat possessed extraordinary properties. Bathing in its blood enhanced vitality and resistance to magic, while consuming the flesh boosted one's mana capacity. Even its bones and scales were highly sought after by craftsmen for creating powerful weapons.

She needlessly explained further, "We dragons are unique in that all parts of our body have a purpose and can be utilized!"

"However, this also made us the target of frequent hunting by different groups in the past...." she mumbled the last part.

It was a fact that still held true; despite the ICM's prohibition on dragon hunting and the dragons forming an alliance, some continued to disregard it and put themselves at risk.

August shrugged nonchalantly. "I still ain't eating it." His eyes briefly shifted to the hovering box above Tohru's head, revealing her true identity.

[Tohru - Chaos Dragon - 'The Dragon Princess' - 'Daughter of the Chaos Dragon Emperor' - Tier 7 (Severely weakened)]

[ME Reserve- S+, Innate Draconic Technique- Grand-Duchess of Chaos-Entropy]

"Geez, you are hopeless!" Tohru couldn't help but express her exasperation with a sigh, her massive jaws opening wide to devour the plate of sandwiches in one swift gulp. Immediately, her vibrant green tail, previously missing from the morning's chaos, regenerated.

August chuckled and shook his head before walking back to his kitchen, which had miraculously been restored to its pristine state. The once chaotic battlefield was now a picture of tranquillity, with not a single pot out of place.

As he began gathering ingredients for breakfast, a thought occurred to him. 'If she's considered a Tier 7 while weakened, then she must be at least a Tier 5 in her normal form - on par with Satoru,' he mused while mechanically grabbing eggs and bread.

In hindsight, it all made sense. August knew that the leader of the dragon faction was The Chaos Dragon Emperor, one of the three heavenly dragons in existence and the only one currently not sealed in a sacred gear. And as his only daughter, Tohru was destined to be strong. 'Just how strong, remains to be seen…' he wondered as he cracked an egg into the pan.

His train of thought was interrupted by a sudden realization - If Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon was also a part of this hotchpotch of a world, that meant its characters were also present. 'Am I playing the role of Kobayashi in this world?' he pondered while catching Tohru peeking at him from behind the kitchen wall. Her gaze seemed different than usual.

Interestingly enough, he was also friends with Makoto Takiya of this world - Gojo Satoru - since they shared the same voice actor. 'Is there something else at play here?' August pondered while flipping his omelette in the pan. What could explain him randomly meeting Tohru?

'I need to speed up my research,' he decided, plating the omelette and toast. The quicker he could understand the abstract concepts of this world, the better. With a final glance at Tohru, who was still watching him curiously, he sat down at the table and prepared to start his day.

______

"And you invited her to live with you?" Satoru asked, his voice laced with disbelief. His blindfold was drawn down, revealing his aquamarine eyes that sparkled with amusement.

"Yes," August's voice was steady despite the incredulous look on Satoru's face.

Satoru burst into laughter, the sound bouncing off the walls of Jujutsu High's staff room. "Wait until Mei hears about this!" He exclaimed through fits of laughter, clutching his stomach.

"Don't treat me like a cheating husband," August huffed, looking dismayed.

"Are you not?" Satoru retorted, his laughter dying down. "You both have been dating for what? Three months?"

"Yes, but I'm not cheating on her," August defended himself firmly.

"Not yet," Satoru added mischievously with a twinkle in his eye.

August shook his head at Satoru's reply as they continued to sort through the documents scattered across the table. The new session was about to begin in two days, and they were going through some last-minute paperwork.

"Can I ask you something, August?" Satoru's gaze was fixed on the documents in front of him.

"What?"

"What are you planning to do with her?"

"Who?"

"Mai Zenin."

August looked at Satoru quizzically as the man further clarified, "You got Mai transferred here. Naobito wouldn't have let her go so easily...what are you planning?" He asked in a serious voice, a stark contrast to his earlier jovial tone.

In the past three months, the friendship between August and Satoru had strengthened enough for August to answer Satoru somewhat truthfully. "Not gonna lie, but I have some big plans regarding her and her sister."

Satoru looked at him with intrigue.

"I am sure you have an inkling that these two sisters were born blessed instead of cursed. After all, you knew him too."

Satoru rolled his eyes and snorted, "Only briefly."

"As brief as it may have been, he almost killed you," August reminded him, "Maki has the potential to match or even surpass him. Her sister possesses one of the rarest techniques known to humankind. The entire Jujutsu world cast them aside as worthless, so they need someone who believes in their potential. Someone to guide them."

"And you're willing to be that someone? But what do you gain from all of this?" Satoru's words hinted at a thin line between them, and August's answer would determine their friendship from here on.

"Do you remember what I said when we met Principal Yaga?" Satoru nodded. "The council is corrupt to its core. If left unchecked, it will bring about the downfall of this country. You can easily stop them, you know?"

"I'm not a dictator, August. Nor do I want to rule this country with tyranny." The steel in Satoru's voice told him volumes about his sensei's resolve.

"By now, I know you well enough to know you are not that type of person," He laughed, "But, I am different. Although I have plans to get in touch with my ancestry in the British Isles, this country will forever hold a special place in my heart. For the younger generation to develop peacefully, the council must go."

"You do realise that what you're saying could be considered treason?" Satoru chuckled.

"Common laws do not bind Special Grades like us, do they?" August joined in Satoru's laughter.

"In all seriousness, try to keep the loss of innocent lives to a minimum, okay?" Satoru's words were light, but his tone was serious.

August readily agreed; he knew Satoru always tried to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. "I will," he promised, his voice echoing through the quiet room.

——————

The school grounds were alive with the usual sounds of students settling into the dormitory - chatting and laughing as they moved about. But a sudden shout cut through the noise like a knife.

"You! What are you doing here?" A mid-length green-haired girl with bangs that swept to the right side shouted at the top of her voice, her dark brown eyes reflecting the figure of a similar-looking girl in front of her.

"I just got appointed as the new principal," the other girl replied calmly, her voice barely audible over the din of the crowd that had started to gather around them.

"…" Mai was momentarily stunned. "Don't play games with me! I don't need you to be my older sister after all this time!"

"Don't kid yourself. I didn't come here for you," the target of her words, Maki, retorted in a cold and detached voice.

"You b—"

Their heated exchange drew a lot of attention, and soon a group had formed around them. And inevitably, one of the onlookers interrupted the duo, "If it isn't the failure of the Zenin Clan."

A head of black hair pushed through the crowd and stopped in front of the sisters.

"Haruka Doumon," Mai muttered under her breath as she scanned the strikingly beautiful girl before her.

Belonging to the prestigious Doumon clan, Haruka was famed as one of the most promising up-and-coming sorceresses. Having strongly inherited the clan's innate technique, she shined brightly, starkly in contrast to Maki and Mai who belonged to the same generation as her; but were widely laughed off as failures.

"To what do I owe the attention of the spoiled princess of the Doumon Clan?" Maki snorted disdainfully, cursing this situation internally.

"I wonder what the higher-ups were thinking, allowing such worthless trash like yourself into this school?" Haruka sneered, her eyes gleaming with contempt.

Maki usually considered herself above such childishly petty squabbles. But when the person insulting her was Haruka Doumon, it became a whole different story. The two girls had a complicated relationship built on a troubled past.

"Rich coming from a person who readily spreads her legs like a two-bit whore," Maki's eyes turned hollow as she spat out the words venomously.

If it wasn't obvious before, Maki's words made it clear to everyone that they held a deep personal grudge against each other.

Cursed energy surged violently around Haruka as she conjured a massive water spear.

"I'll kill yo—"

But before the girls could engage in an actual fight, a suffocating presence immediately weighed down on them, forcing them both to their knees. The crowd watching was confused; just moments ago, Maki and Haruka were ready to tear each other apart, but suddenly they cowered on the ground with fear etched on their faces.

"No fighting inside the school premises," a deep voice declared from behind. They all turned to see a handsome young man with black hair coolly approaching them with his hands in his pockets.

The new students were a mix of those who had never been a part of the world and those who were already familiar with it. The familiar ones were immediately awestruck by the newcomer.

"Lord Atom Controller!"

Whispers of that name spread through the crowd as they made way for the black-haired man, who stopped in front of two girls.

"This is a place where young sorcerers are nurtured. Any unauthorized fights will not be tolerated. Those who break this rule will face severe consequences. Keep that in mind," his voice echoed through the air as he reached out to help the two beautiful girls before him.

Realization struck Maki as she scoffed, rejected his assistance, and stood up alone. But Haruka boldly accepted his offer as he lifted her up.

She pinched the hem of her skirt and introduced herself with a polite bow, "It's a pleasure to meet you, August Blackwood-sama."

Every supernatural being who earned a special grade or equivalent was given an honourable title. Just like Genbu Kushihashi was known as 'The Archdruid of Cover Grave', August was bestowed with the title of 'The Atom Controller', styled after the immense power he displayed over the last few months.

Even though some believed that 'Lord of Elements' would have been a more fitting title, they ultimately settled on 'The Atom Controller'. The title perfectly represented his ability to manipulate the very elements at their core, showing just how powerful and in control he truly was.

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