Chapter Text
Gundham was left standing on the newly revealed beach, watching as nearly everyone went their separate ways. Was this really the class he’d be spending this school trip with? These mortals would never be able to fathom the power he holds over them, for he is Tanaka The Forbidden One! Alas, he must be vigilant till the time of his overruling occurs. Perhaps he could spare some mortals if deemed worthy. His classmates were enrolled at Hope’s Peak Academy after all, they must have commendable ultimates.
Quickly glancing around, he spots two individuals left, one seemingly passed out in the sand and the other looming over. This didn’t seem to concern Gundham, for he had four beasts to check on. All but one Deva was peacefully sleeping within the depths of his scarf. The Invading Black Dragon, Cham-P, sat on Gundham’s left shoulder, sniffing the air around him. Stretching out his arms and making a small cup out of his hands, Gundham created more room for Cham-P to examine his surroundings. Running down his arm and into Gundham’s hands, Cham-P seemed curious about a scent coming from the left of them. Cham-P had shown himself to be the smartest of the Devas; it would be belittling to ignore his instinct. As Gundham started walking towards the path leading to whatever Cham-P sensed, Cham-P ran back up to his shoulder.
An airport? If Gundham remembered correctly, these housed flying metal beasts. Looking to his shoulder, it seems as though Cham-P had gone back into the scarf; there would be no point in asking what the purpose of coming here was. After all, his Devas would never think of putting him in a situation of betrayal; he knew he could trust whatever instinct they showed. Opening the door and entering the airport, he immediately notices a brightly colored individual. Was this individual’s palette a sign of aposematic coloration or mimicry? The answer to that would seemingly come with time.
This pink-haired mortal was intently examining the inside of a metal beast before him. What was he looking for? Was there a purpose to this rummaging? Without any indication that he was there, he watched the mortal eagerly but carefully dig through the structure within the machine.
After a couple of minutes, Gundham broke the silence.
“Heh.. my interest is piqued. What is this metal beast you so clearly desire?”
“I was checking out the inside of this plane. It’s seriously cool, but there’s no engine!” The fiend sighed. “A vehicle without an engine is just sad, y’know?”
“Is it now?”
“Yeah! Man, I bet I could’ve made it faster, too.”
“Why don’t you summon your own? You have the will to do so.” This made the most sense to Gundham; he had worked with plenty of beasts to know that summoning them comes easily when the correct bond is created.
“Nah, engines are too specific, they’re way too hard to make.” Putting the structure back into the beast, he sealed off the outer area with a loud bang. “Agh, whatever! It’s not a big deal.”
The boy spun around, wiping his hands on his coveralls before holding out his hand. “Well, let me introduce myself properly,” He paused for a moment, almost as if he were examining Gundham. Unaware of the shift in body language coming from him, Gundham awaited the introduction, continuing to ignore the outstretched hand.
“Huh.. I’m Kazuichi Soda! I’m the ultimate mechanic,” he finished, warily eying the other.
“Very well.. You may call me Gundham Tanaka! May you never forget it for as long as you live,” He proudly introduced himself. “Someday I shall rule over this realm as the Supreme Overlord of Ice!”
“Oh! So you’re, like, the.. Um,” Kazuichi paused. “Ultimate.. overlord?”
“Fuahaha! I like the sound of that. However, a mortal could never understand someone such as I.” Gundham didn’t expect anything more from these classmates of his; his existence was extremely complicated.
“S-Seriously? Did I get it wrong?”
“Do you value your life so little? I’ve told you who I am, fiend!” The Devas crawled out of his scarf and onto his shoulders, mimicking the slightly annoyed expression Gundham had on. “The Tanaka Empire won’t forgive your ignorance!”
“Woah! What are those!?” Kazuichi takes a step forward, but Gundham immediately keeps the distance and steps back.
“Keep your distance, fiend. I haven’t finished assessing your power, so I can’t guarantee your safety. My four dark Devas of destruction aren’t nearly as forgiving as I am,” Gundham said. These mortals wouldn’t be able to comprehend the power he and his beast hold. The world shall one day understand the dark arts that lie within him, for he is half-demon. He is the ultimate weapon, and that shouldn’t be overlooked.
His Devas have also shown their strength plenty of times prior; he shouldn’t risk the lives of mortals he’d just met. He’d seen the way his Devas fight for their territory: to unleash that wrath upon an oblivious individual would be disgraceful.
“Yeah, I guess it’s for the best. You’re right.” Kazuichi leaned back, crossing his arms, trying to seem unbothered. “I could crush those little guys easily. I’m wayyyy powerful, more than you, I’m sure.”
“You-!” Gundham replied, exasperated. Kazuichi grinned smugly. “Hmph. Fine. Approach and offer your hand.”
To taunt the Overlord of Ice and his Devas was an interesting move coming from this fiend. This would be the moment where San-D analyzes his qualification. Kazuichi had better be praying for an exceptional response.
Kazuichi walked over to him and put his hand out once more. San-D skittered down Gundham’s arm and onto his palm. She sniffed Kazuichi’s hand, her face twitching with judgment. After a few moments, she spun around to look at Gundham and squeaked. Gundham nodded thoughtfully, and as San-D returned to his shoulder, he changed his stance.
“Supernova Silver Fox San-D deems you competent! Kehehe.. Be grateful!”
San-D can be rapacious over her territory; Kazuichi should grovel in appreciation and recognition. The fact that such primal instincts are directed towards him indicates some sort of capability.
“Must be pretty smart then,” Kazuichi beamed.
“My Devas possess a superior intelligence,” Gundham agreed. He could appreciate this conversation. To have the mortals around him understand the power he held was of utmost importance. Perhaps he could give this fiend the benefit of the doubt and form a cautious bond.
“Heh-heh.. Say, what even is a Deva?”
Before Gundham could reply, he noticed Kazuichi shift his focus to voices that were approaching closer. Directing his attention to the two boys walking closer as well, he recognized them to be the last two on the beach from earlier. It seems like the brunette who was passed out was functioning properly. His eyes were darting across the different metal beasts as he quietly spoke with the white-haired boy walking beside him.
“Yo!” Kazuichi called with a wave. They both turned to look at him, picking up their pace until they were close enough to be heard.
“These airplanes.. Don’t you agree, we could use them to escape this island?” The brunette asked without pause.
“Nah, they don’t have their engines. But hey, it’s not that big of a deal,” he shrugged.
“If the ultimate mechanic says so, then it must be true. You should try to stop thinking so negatively, Hajime.”
“Woah! How’d you know my talent? You must be seriously good at guessing!”
“Ah.. I guess you could say I’m lucky,” his smile remained the same the whole time he spoke. “I did some research before coming to this school. This is a once in a lifetime experience, after all. If I were to take a guess, I’d say you must be the ultimate breeder.” The boy pointed at Gundham, his movement light.
While he didn’t expect to be recognized, it was inevitable. After all, he had made an impact on the world, he successfully saved endangered species, he was skilled in his dark arts, and he maintained a famously known blog. In addition, he was actively associated with the dark beasts that were his Devas. Regardless, he was delighted to be known.
“Hey, wait! So you’re not the ultimate overlord!?” Kazuichi turned and also pointed, much more accusingly, at Gundham, who was laughing beside him.
“Fuahaha! Excellent.. You already know of the great Gundham Tanaka! Now, cower with fear!”
“..Huh?” Hajime squinted at Gundham.
“I’ve heard he can speak to animals, so you shouldn’t take him too lightly,” the other boy whispered, giggling.
“Why would I cower?” Hajime asked. He looked back at Gundham, face drawn in confusion. “I’m.. Hajime Hinata?”
“Your spirit is weak. Best to count your blessings before they’re gone,” Gundham replied. He narrowed his eyes at Hajime, almost as if he was offended at the question.
“Don’t say something so creepy!” Kazuichi grimaced at Gundham before turning back to the other mortals. “Name’s Kazuichi Soda! Who’s your friend?”
“..I can’t believe you’re curious about someone like me,” he muttered. “I’m Nagito Komaeda.” Hajime let out a long sigh.
“Don’t you find it weird at all that we’re suddenly here?”
“I mean, this is probably normal for Hope’s Peak, yeah?” Kazuichi answered. “You might as well try to enjoy yourself, man!”
Perhaps the fear Hajime was experiencing was due to Gundham. Even if Hajime was confused about why he should cower, he must’ve known of Gundham's dark presence subconsciously. Nevertheless, Gundham knew he should wait until the moment when showing his capabilities arose before taking further action. A smirk grew across his face as he crossed his arms.
“I agree.”
“See, Hajime? I told you there’s nothing to worry about,” Nagito said. Hajime looked like he wanted to say something, but decided against it. He relaxed.. slightly.
“This dark lord’s divas will keep you safe,” Kazuichi reaffirmed, eying the little creatures.
“They’re Devas, not divas. Watch your tongue,” Gundham hissed back. Kazuichi awkwardly laughed. “I am not some dark lord.. I am the Overlord of Ice. From Hell I came and to Hell I shall return, and I will drag you down there if you dare misspeak again!”
He could excuse Kazuichi’s prior attempt at incorrectly guessing his ultimate, but disrespecting the Devas title was not something he’d take lightly. Gundham had been assisting the Devas in awakening their true powers for quite some time now. Meaning, they were deeply significant to him.
“W-what! No way, c’mon man! I’ll buy you a soda if you forgive me?”
“Hmph.. what a foolish notion. However, this time, I’ll allow it.”
This excuse of an apology would not have sufficed if he weren’t on a school trip. However, Gundham had to maintain the peace with his peers for the time being.
“Awesome! You won’t regret it!” Kazuichi pumped his fists in the air.
“It’s nice you guys are getting along so well,” Nagito said. “Hajime and I need to meet the others, still..” He seemed a bit nervous, but he turned to Hajime. “Are you good to keep going?”
“..Yeah.“
They said brief goodbyes before they departed, Hajime leading the way. Then, it was only Gundham and Kazuichi left at the airport. Gundham had already gotten a quick glimpse of everyone on the island, categorizing them based on their demeanor. Formal introductions are unavoidable: perhaps the opportunity would arise later in the day? Furthermore, if this isle has an airport, of all things, what else would it have to offer?
Kazuichi laughed nervously.
“Those guys seemed cool, dontcha think?”
“Their ranking appears even lower than yours,” Gundham replied.
“Seriously?” He shifted his gaze back over to him. “Heh.. Well, this trip will be fun either way! I wonder what else is on this island.. Wanna go find out?”
“I shall entertain your foolish plans.” Gundham stared at Kazuichi for a moment. Perhaps he was waiting for Gundham to lead the way? Furrowing his brow, he spoke, “Well? Must I lead you like a dog? Hmph.. Let the great Gundham Tanaka be your guide, then!”
Gundham marched towards the doors, with Kazuichi stumbling behind. They both paused as that white rabbit appeared on a monitor in the room. She gave an announcement about everyone collecting hope fragments and told them to gather at the beach. Of course, exploring the island seemed intriguing, but it’d have to be postponed.
“Dang.. Hey, I need to do something before I head over, so I’ll see you there!” Kazuichi said before exiting the airport.