You reach out through the Telepathy Web. "Rin," you send. "Status report on Redding?"

  Her response comes back immediately. "City's worse than expected. Visible signs of violence everywhere, burned buildings, execution sites, shallow mass graves. This wasn’t panic, it was deliberate. No active hostiles in visual range yet, but that almost worries me more.

  You grimace. “Meaning survivors are still nearby.”

  “And not the kind that welcome visitors, especially not a group like ours.” A brief pause, then more data. “We’ve identified three viable acquisition points. Northeast RV dealership looks best: twenty-two units confirmed on first pass, minimal undead activity. Fairgrounds has trailers but condition unknown. Industrial lot has mobile homes but heavy zombie concentration, low priority unless forced.”

  You consider the picture she’s painting. logistics overid on atrocity.

  “Visible violence means predators,” you reply. “Bandits, toll-collectors, warlords pying sheriff. Be careful and don't pretend to be nice, even injured you're all high-profile targets. Add five more units to the acquisition list, our group can be extra drivers.”

  A fraction of a second passes, calcutions clearly running.

  “Alright,” Rin answers. “New target total: fifteen RVs and nineteen trailers. I’ll split the convoy so we can extract in waves if necessary.”

  “Good,” you send. “Assume nothing and trust no radio chatter.”

  “Already doing that,” she replies dryly

  "Kurumi," you send next, shifting focus to the time spirit. "How are you feeling? Any improvement with the temporal perception?"

  The response that comes back is... different. Clearer. Where before Kurumi's mental voice had a strange overpping quality, like hearing someone speak in multiple moments simultaneously, now it sounded singur.

  "Much better," she answers, clear relief in her voice. "The constant overpping has stopped screaming at me. I can still feel echoes of other timelines, but it's manageable now. Background noise rather than than a rave. Whatever you did, Master, it worked."

  "Mind-Mend enchantment," you expin. "A mental focused variant of the Vigor enchant, Applied through the Anchoring Bands. It won’t erase what you’ve been through, but it will stabilize the damage."

  "It feels like someone finally turned the volume down on the universe," she admits. “I can think again. Be present.” Then, with characteristic pyfulness returning: "And here I thought I'd have to seduce you into fixing me."

  "You can still try, I'd appreciate it."

  Her ughter ripples across the Telepathy Web, warm, genuine, and blessedly singur, before she withdraws.

  You open your eyes, awareness settling back fully into the physical world. The Jeep hums steadily beneath you, forest rolling past in the morning light.

  “Update,” you say aloud. “Rin confirms Redding is violent but quiet, bandit activity likely nearby. They’ve got viable acquisition points and are scaling up." you continue. "Kurumi's temporal perception issues are stabilizing, Mind-Mend is working."

  Albedo nods from the driver's seat. "Banditry and predation, most likely. Standard colpse patterns."

  "We'll be ready," Robin says quietly from behind you.

  The road curves ahead, marking roughly an hour of driving. Albedo begins slowing smoothly.

  "Switching drivers," she announces. "Erza, your turn."

  The Jeep pulls to a controlled stop on the empty highway. Albedo slides gracefully out of the driver's seat, stepping back to the rear door. Erza emerges from behind her, walking forward with ridged confidence.

  She settles into the driver's seat, adjusting the mirrors.

  "Ready," she says.

  The Jeep pulls back onto the highway, acceleration smooth and controlled. Ahead, Hinata's vehicle maintains steady pace, Byakugan likely sweeping the road for threats.

  You lean back slightly, reviewing the tactical picture. Mobile apartments to turn the LPD into a floating hotel. Mind-Mend easing psychological strain added to your list of enchantments. Hostile factions still likely converging but unaware of your exact position... You haven't checked on the groups that converged on Crescent City yesterday. Local food supplies should be running out, all of the armed groups should be fighting over stored goods and survivalists capable of improvising or extending food stores. The water won't go bad in this area for another week or month, maybe. Locals survivors... food will be their priority, but armed groups seeing a mobile group of magically clean, beautiful women after the electricity has gone out... even without recognizing them as famous anime characters, this is a recipe for a disaster.

  The road stretches on through morning light. You focus back at Trinidad.

  "C.C., Riveria, Asia, Violet," you send clearly. "If you're ready for it, I need you to fly innd to Redding Airport. You should arrive about the same time as us. The extra pressure might be needed to prevent conflict - signs of recent violence at Redding aren't looking favorable."

  C.C.'s response comes first. "Direct escort request or strategic deterrent dispy?"

  "Both," you reply honestly. "Rin's reporting execution sites and mass graves. We don't know who's responsible yet, but now that we have the option, I'd rather dispy overwhelming force before negotiations start than need it when they start thinking with the wrong heads."

  A brief pause, then Riveria joins the conversation. "Understood. We’ll deploy the Apaches. C.C. and I will take lead pilots. Asia and Violet will rotate controls under supervision."

  "Perfect," you confirm. "Flight time?"

  "Fifteen minutes to liftoff. Estimated flight time to Redding is thirty-five minutes." Riveria calcutes. "Redding Regional Airport is clearly marked on the maps. We’ll conduct aerial reconnaissance on approach and establish a visible perimeter presence near the airport."

  Asia's gentle voice concerned. "Should we expect combat?"

  "Prepare for it," you answer carefully. "But don't initiate. You're there to demonstrate capability, not start fights. Riveria has tactical command during flight and nding. Follow her lead."

  "Understood," Asia murmurs.

  Violet joins st, her voice a measured crity. "Acknowledged. We will maintain combat readiness while prioritizing non-lethal deterrence."

  "Good," you reply. "Interface access is already configured on your phones. If you need to adjust enchantments or coordinate with the forward group, use that. I'll keep the web open for updates."

  C.C.'s amusement sharpens slightly. "You're building quite the intimidation toolkit. Four powerful women arriving by air while your convoy approaches by ground. Bandit factions tend to reconsider their life choices when faced with that kind of coordination."

  "That's the idea," you confirm. "See you in Redding."

  The connection settles into background awareness as the four women begin preparations. You can feel their movements through the master-servant contracts and general network presence - Asia gathering medical supplies, Violet conducting weapon checks, Riveria reviewing maps, C.C. moving with unhurried confidence toward the marina.

  Erza gnces at you from the driver's seat. "Aerial support?"

  "Two Apaches incoming," you confirm aloud. "Riveria's leading. Her calcutions put them passing us a few minute before arrival, but I'm fairly certain a those numbers can't calcute for still-learning pilots and unfamiliar location, I'm betting they'll arrive at roughly the same time and we establish perimeter at the airport together."

  Robin's voice comes from behind you, thoughtful. "Strategic positioning. Ground convoy coordinates with air assets. Creates impression of rger organized force rather than isoted survivors."

  You nod. "And if someone's running protection rackets or executing refugees, seeing that kind of coordination might convince them to keep their head down rather than make attack."

  Albedo adds quietly, "Or flee entirely, which serves our purposes equally well."

  The morning light spreads gold across the highway. Ahead, Hinata's vehicle maintains speed, Byakugan likely already scanning for threats.

  The road stretches on through forested hills.

  The highway narrows as you enter Redding proper, forcing Erza to slow the Jeep from highway speed to cautious maneuvering. Abandoned vehicles cluster thicker here, sedans with doors hanging open, a minivan with shattered windows, a pickup truck T-boned into a guardrail with rust-brown stains streaking down its side.

  You lean forward slightly, scanning the streets branching off the main road. Burned buildings. Boarded windows. A pharmacy with its front wall colpsed inward, pill bottles scattered across the sidewalk like confetti. Further down, bodies. three of them. hanging from a streetlight by crude nooses. The corpses are weeks old, bloated and picked over by birds.

  "They're not zombies," Robin says quietly from behind you, her voice carrying no inflection. "Execution style. Ropes were tied deliberately."

  Albedo's golden eyes track the scene with clinical precision. "Message killings. Someone establishing territory."

  Erza's hands tighten briefly on the wheel, then rex. "Should we-"

  "Keep moving," you say firmly. "We're not here to solve Redding's problems. We're here to get housing units and leave."

  The Jeep curves around an overturned delivery truck, its cargo spilled across two nes, cases of bottled water, now empty or shattered. Ahead, Hinata's vehicle slows further as the road narrows between two colpsed buildings, their debris forming a crude chicane.

  You reach out through the Telepathy Web. "Rin, we're seeing the same violence you reported. Any movement from the hospital group?"

  "Negative," she replies instantly. "They're holding position. We're at the dealership now. twenty-four viable units confirmed, keys secured, engines starting smoothly. Sinon's running mechanical checks. Estimate thirty minutes to full staging."

  "Copy," you send back. "We'll be there in ten."

  The road opens slightly as you pass into a commercial district, storefronts looted, windows smashed, graffiti spray-painted across brick walls. Some of it's standard territorial marking. Some of it's darker: crude drawings of bodies, threats written in dripping letters, coordinates and dates that suggest organized patrols.

  "This isn't colpse chaos," Albedo observes. "This is structure. Someone's running this city like a prison camp."

  "Multiple someones," Robin corrects. "The execution styles vary. Different groups, different methods. At least three factions operating independently."

  You nod slowly, "All hostile, none we want to meet." mentally cataloging the information. The hospital group Rin spotted. The residential faction mentioned. Whoever controls this commercial district. All of them carving out territory through violence and intimidation.

  Erza navigates around a barricade of shopping carts and lumber, then accelerates slightly as the road clears. "How do we avoid conflict if they notice us?"

  "We don't avoid it," you reply. "We make sure they understand confrontation would be fatal before they consider trying. That's why I called in air support. If they do attack, We kill them faster than they can kill us, that's how this world's firearms have developed."

  Ahead, you can see the RV dealership's sign rising above the buildings, bright red letters against faded white. The forward group's vehicles are visible in the lot, already moving units into line.

  The Jeep rolls into the dealership lot, tires crunching over broken gss.

  You move through the RV dealership without greeting everyone. Applying the enchantments to each wall-mounted TV, a standard package: Interface, Connection, Energy Conversion, the simple works. Mana pulled from the network, barely scratching the increased generation from the Cargo Jet. fifteen new RVs.

  "Done," you announce through the Telepathy Web. "We're heading to the airport."

  Three Jeeps leading, Rin coordinates from the lead RV, the newly enchanted RVs following in line. The city slides past, burned buildings and execution sites marking territory you're careful to avoid.

  Redding Regional Airport appears slowly as we approach down the highway, its control tower rising against gray morning sky. The two Apache helicopters descend in synchronized formation, rotors thundering as they settle onto the main tarmac. Riveria exits first, followed by C.C., Asia, and Violet. All four move calmly, establishing perimeter positions as your convoy passes the gate.

  You pull the Jeep to a stop near the terminal building. "Robin, Hinata, what do are we looking forward to?"

  Robin's eyes close briefly as she activates her Devil Fruit ability. Dozens of eyes manifest across the airport grounds, on rooftops, in hangars, along the runway. Hinata's Byakugan active beside her, veins standing out near her temples.

  "Three rger aircraft," Robin reports. "One near the western hangar, engines intact but nding gear colpsed. A different model, smaller and smoother inside Hangar Two, appears functional. three is I assume a passenger craft at the eastern maintenance bay, significant structural damage to the tail section."

  "Generator building is southeast corner," Hinata adds, her pupil-less eyes tracking invisible details. "Four industrial units visible, two operational by heat signature. Fuel depot is northwest, three underground tanks showing liquid levels approximately forty percent. No hostile human activity detected within two hundred meters. Zombie presence minimal, seven hostiles in the terminal building, three near the fuel depot."

  "Any signs of the factions Rin mentioned?" you ask.

  Robin's manifested eyes sweep methodically. "Hospital complex is two point three miles northeast. I can see movement on the roof, fifteen to twenty individuals, armed. They're watching us through binocurs but holding position."

  "Smart," you murmur. "They saw the Apaches arrive."

  "Western residential area shows fortifications," Hinata continues. "Approximately one point eight miles from here. Barricades, patrol patterns. Thirty to forty people visible. No immediate movement toward our position."

  Riveria approaches, her elven features calm. "Airport is secure for now. The dramatic arrival appears to have discouraged investigation."

  You nod, already calcuting. The generators are operational. The fuel depot has reserves. Three aircraft of varying viability. The hostile factions are aware but cautious.

  Rin's voice comes through the web. "What's the pn?"

  "The generators first," you say aloud, addressing the group gathering around you. "C.C., Kurumi, Nami assess and start the aircraft. Robin, Hinata, keep scanning. If anyone approaches, I want warning before they're in shooting range."

  Asia moves closer, medical bag already on her shoulder. "Should I check the terminal for survivors?"

  You consider the seven zombies Hinata mentioned. "No, Hinata would have mentioned any. Instead take Sango, Erza, Riveria and Mikasa. Clear the building, check for anything useful. Most airports this size were functionally a small mall as well as emergency location. See if anything's left to pick through. Musashi, Yoruichi, would the two of you please clear the zombies. We want to be out of here before any locals decide they want to try talking."

  The morning sun breaks through clouds, casting long shadows across the tarmac. Sixteen RVs sit in neat rows behind you. Two Apaches rest like sleeping predators. Four dimensional travelers maintain perimeter positions.

  And somewhere in the city, three hostile factions watch and wonder what kind of force just rolled into their territory.

  You sprint toward the generator building, boots crunching across broken asphalt. two industrial diesel engines running, warm for whatever automated systems survived the colpse, someone must have started them after the grid went out yesterday, the other two rumble to life... why did they only start two of the four? You flip breakers one at a time, watching gauges climb for a moment.

  The control tower stairs take you three at a time. At the top, you find the expected chaos, overturned chairs, scattered paperwork, dried bloodstains on one wall. You walk past it all, focusing on the radar console tucked against the western window. Perfectly out of the way and important enough to secure.

  Interface enchantment applies easily, connections, Network Node, inheritance rules. Redding Regional Airport becomes an innd network anchor point, generators supporting the location's mana needs. Advanced package: Interface, Connection, Energy Conversion, the full non-immortal suite. The airport stabilizes at 6,000 capacity with 150 generation per hour.

  [Redding Regional Airport | Generation: 150/hour | Capacity: 6,000]

  You rush down the stairs possibly a bit too quickly, moving toward the western hangar where a Boeing 737 sits with its colpsed nding gear. C.C. stands near the nose wheel, arms crossed, golden eyes tracking your approach.

  "Functional," she reports simply. "Engines start clean. Avionics are intact. Just needs the leg fixed."

  "Repair enchantment should handle it slowly after we're gone," you confirm, climbing the boarding stairs two at a time. Inside, you move directly to the cockpit, finding a side-mounted dispy panel.

  [Boeing 737 #001 | Generation: 18,400/hour | Capacity: 6,000]

  Hangar Two next. The Cessna Citation is smaller, sleeker. Nami sits in the pilot seat, having just completed her engine startup. She looks up as you climb into the cockpit, brown eyes brightening.

  "All green," she says. "This one's ready to fly."

  You lean down, and kiss her gently. She responds immediately, lips warm and eager, one hand coming up to rest against your chest. When you pull back, she's smiling.

  "Thank you," you say quietly.

  "For what?"

  "For being exactly who you are."

  Her cheeks flush slightly, but the smile stays. You turn to the instrument panel, applying the enchantments. Cessna #001 joins the network.

  [Cessna Citation #001 | Generation: 8,200/hour | Capacity: 6,000]

  The Bombardier CRJ-200 sits in the eastern maintenance bay, engines idling, tail section visibly damaged. Kurumi lounges against the fusege, gothic dress somehow spotless despite the airport grime.

  "Engines are good," she reports, voice carrying pyful warmth. "The tail's beyond saving, but you knew that already."

  You climb into the cockpit, then pause, looking back at her. "So, Master am I?"

  Her smile sharpens. "You heard that, did you?"

  "Hard to miss."

  She steps closer, golden-red eyes locked on yours. "It slipped out. A matter of... habit, perhaps. Or recognition."

  You reach out, pulling her into the cockpit with you. She comes willingly, pressing against you as you kiss her, deeper than Nami, more demanding. Her hands slide up your chest, fingers curling into your shirt.

  When you break apart, she's breathless but grinning. "I suppose that answers the question."

  "We'll discuss it properly ter," you murmur, then turn to apply the enchantments. Bombardier CRJ-200 #001 integrates despite the structural damage, engines still functional, mana generation active.

  [Bombardier CRJ-200 #001 | Generation: 12,800/hour | Capacity: 6,000]

  You step back onto the tarmac, reviewing. Four new network nodes. A second massive generation increase. Redding secured temporarily. your going to need more expensive spells.

  Your voice goes through the Telepathy Web. "Enchantments complete, we sweep through the terminal for anything we're interested in. Next Stop is the Costco we passed a few minutes ago."

  SnafuSam