Before anyone could respond, the second pod began its opening sequence.

**[WARNING: CRYO-POD 009 - UNUSUAL NEURAL ACTIVITY DETECTED]**

**[OCCUPANT VITAL SIGNS: ERRATIC]**

**[EMOTIONAL STATE: UNKNOWN]**

This time, things were a bit different. There wasn't any loud hissing or dramatic steam—just a soft opening of the pod, like a flower unfurling.

A petite figure slowly sat up. Her black hair, cascaded around her like silky strands. When she opened her eyes, they were a striking crimson.

"Jin... sama?" She spoke so softly it was almost a whisper, yet her words seemed to fill the room. Her bright red eyes locked onto him right away, widening as if she was completely enchanted.

"You're... you're alive. I felt you die. I felt your heart stop."

She was up on wobbly legs, looking like she might crumble at any moment. But Scarlett quickly tensed up, her instincts kicking in and sounding alarms.

"I'm... I'm sorry," the girl continued, tears streaming down her porcelain cheeks. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you. I failed in my duty. Please... please forgive this worthless person."

She took a step forward and tripped. Jin immediately reached out to catch her, and as soon as their hands met, everything about her changed—if only for a split second. The tears dried up. The shaking stopped. Her eyes flashed with a surprising clarity that made Scarlett instinctively reach for her sword.

Then, all of a sudden, she was crying into Jin's chest.

"Shūmei?" Jin said, the name coming from nowhere. "Shūmei Tsurugi?"

"You... you remember me?" She looked up at him with worshipful eyes. "Even after everything? Oh, Jin-sama, I'm so happy I could die."

*"Jin, her neural patterns are... concerning. I'm detecting multiple personality matrices, advanced combat muscle memory, and emotional responses that don't match her physical presentation."*

"Another Tsurugi," Sera noticed, keeping her tone pretty relaxed.

Shūmei finally seemed to notice everyone else and gave a quick, deep bow while still holding onto Jin's arm. "Please forgive my rudeness. I'm Tsurugi Shūmei, Jin-sama's cousin. I'm... I'm not very useful, but I'll do my best not to be a burden."

"Cousin?" Rosa raised an eyebrow. "That's convenient."

"The Tsurugi clan valued close bloodlines," Shūmei said quietly, maintaining eye contact with Jin. "We grew up together... Jin-sama was always so compassionate toward someone like me who felt so worthless.

Scarlett maintained her position, saying, "It seems like you have a background in combat training based on your muscle movement and posture. You must have trained a lot."

Shūmei flinched. "I... I learned a little. For self-defense. But I'm terrible at it. Not like Jin-sama. He was always the prodigy."

"I don't remember—" Jin started.

"It's okay," Shūmei interrupted gently, placing a delicate hand on his chest. Right over his heart. "The trauma, the cryo-sleep... it's natural you'd forget someone as worthless as me. I'm just grateful to be near you again."

"Welcome to the team," Rosa said with false cheer, clearly picking up on the weird vibes. "The more the merrier in the apocalypse, right?"

"Team?" Shūmei looked over each of the women, sizing them up and taking everything in. Then, she flashed a friendly smile. "How wonderful. Jin-sama has made friends. I'm so happy for you."

Clara took a hesitant step closer, always the one to calm the storm. "Um, you might be feeling a bit… confused? I mean, with the cryo-sleep and all that time lost... it's just, well, it's a lot to take in. Maybe you could, um, find a seat?"

"You're very kind," Shūmei said, her smile never wavering. "All of you are. Taking such good care of Jin-sama. I'm truly grateful."

" Okay," Scarlett replied thoughtfully. "We need to get going. That wasn't the final attack; I think we'll have another one in about forty minutes." She took a moment before asking, "Are you able to fight, Shūmei?

"Oh, I..." Shūmei looked down shyly. "I'll try not to get in the way. But fighting is so scary..."

"We'll protect you," Jin said immediately, and Shūmei's grip on his arm tightened just slightly.

"Jin-sama is so noble," she whispered. "Just like always."

*"Jin, I'm detecting micro-expressions that suggest—"*

*"Not now, Asha,"* Jin thought back. *"She's part of our family. She's frightened. We look out for everyone, don't forget that."*

*"Of course. Just... be careful. Both new additions are anomalous in different ways. Scarlett's straightforward power versus Shūmei's hidden depths. This dynamic will be... interesting."*

"Alright," Sera said, taking the lead once more while occasionally looking back at the two newcomers. "Scarlett, you're correct about the need to relocate. We should find a spot that's easier to defend. The Command Wing is our best option."

While they were grabbing their stuff and getting ready to head out, the difference between the two newcomers was too obvious. Scarlett strolled around with total confidence, seamlessly fitting into their battle setup and throwing out some helpful ideas.

On the other hand, Shūmei stuck close to Jin like a shadow, giving off this vibe of being totally helpless but somehow never getting in the way. He was always in the right spot to block any potential threat to Jin, but made it look like it was all just by chance.

*"Jin. People are drawn to you now in ways that transcend normal human connection. Be very careful how you handle this power."*

*"I just want to protect everyone,"* Jin thought back.

*"I have concerns regarding this matter. Certain individuals do not pursue safety; rather, they seek to exert control."*

As they stepped out of the cryo-bay, Jin realized he was tangled in a web that was getting more complicated by the second.

Then there was Scarlett—a fierce warrior who could see right through any lies, someone who could help them level up to something amazing.

And Shūmei—family ties, blood relations, a link to what he had lost in the past. Her loyalty felt like smooth threads that could either lift him up or squeeze too tight.

**[PARTY UPDATE]**

- Jin Tsurugi (Level 10) - Phoenix Reborn

- Seraphina Valerius - Tactical Commander

- Clara Vance - Technical Specialist

- Rosalie Thorne - Agile Support

- Scarlett Kendrick - Battle Strategist **[NEW]**

- Shūmei Tsurugi - ??? **[NEW]**

**[WARNING: GROUP DYNAMICS HAVE SHIFTED]**

**[MULTIPLE AFFINITY CONFLICTS DETECTED]**

**[RECOMMENDATION: MAINTAIN BALANCE OR RISK PARTY DISSOLUTION]**

Getting to the Command Wing would take about twenty minutes.

In that time, friendships could develop, doubts might creep in, and the fragile state of their survival could either get stronger...

Or fall apart entirely.