Tohu did not settle when he agreed to talk.
He stood in the middle of the broken lane like a man who could end the conversation at will, and the nine did not pretend to be anything other than fools if they broke formation. The air remained thick with his presence, and behind them, the pressure of Sera's recovery crept steadily forward through the interval.
Zeus kept his position at the front. "So say the terms in a manner that does not imply the old cage."
Tohu studied him for a moment before answering. "I take temporary custody of you for the duration it takes me to fully read the residual force you are carrying. Not Sera's shelf. Not a public auction. My custody. During that time, the rest of your group remains under provisional protection from scavenger claims. Upon completion of the reading, we determine if that force can be sealed, trained, or allowed to remain active under restriction."
