Ron walked toward the location slowly, his senses alert, his eyes scanning every corner.
The night felt normal.
Too normal.
After a few minutes, he reached the restaurant.
Warm lights glowed through the glass walls. Soft music drifted through the air. Ron stepped inside.
The place was lively—well-dressed guests, low laughter, and the faint scent of expensive food and aged liquor lingering in the air.
He pulled out his phone and texted Xentan.
Where are you?
The reply came instantly.
VIP section. Upstairs.
Ron glanced around and spotted the staircase at the far left of the hall. Without hesitation, he walked toward it and climbed to the upper floor.
At the top, a waitress stood near the corridor.
"Excuse me," Ron said calmly. "Is Mr. Xentan here?"
She studied him carefully. "Are you Ron?"
He nodded.
"Please follow me. The Master is waiting."
Master? Ron raised an eyebrow but followed her anyway.
She stopped in front of a large wooden door and knocked twice.
"Mr. Ron is here," she announced.
From inside, a familiar voice responded, "Ron is here already? Damn, he's fast as always. Let him in."
The door opened.
Ron stepped inside.
The room was extravagant—velvet couches, golden lighting, and lavish decorations. It felt more like a private lounge than a restaurant suite.
On the central couch sat a man with gray hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and sharp eyes that still carried danger beneath their calm surface. Two young women sat close to him, one on each arm.
As soon as Ron entered, the man gently removed their hands and stood.
"Ron," he said with a grin. "Good to see you."
He stepped forward and gave him a brief hug.
"Sit, sit."
Ron took the couch opposite him, quietly scanning the room.
"Damn," Ron said dryly. "This is very VIP."
"This is the most VIP room," one of the women corrected proudly. "Only Master Xentan is permitted here."
"Master?" Ron repeated, glancing at Xentan.
"Yes," the other woman added smoothly. "He owns this hotel. And countless other businesses around the world."
Ron slowly turned his head toward Xentan.
"When did you become a final boss?" he asked.
Xentan smirked. "After retirement."
Ron gestured slightly toward the women. "And they are…?"
"My girlfriends," Xentan replied casually.
"Girlfriends?" Ron blinked. "At this age?"
Xentan narrowed his eyes. "What's wrong with my age? I have more."
"How many?" Ron asked cautiously.
"Eight."
Ron stared at him. "Eight?"
"What? I'm fit," Xentan said defensively. "You want to test me, kid?"
One of the women nodded proudly. "Master Xentan is a kendo expert. He has only lost twice in his life."
Ron leaned back.
"I apologize for disrespecting the Master," he said solemnly—though laughter hid beneath his tone.
A moment of silence passed.
Then—
"Hahahahaha!"
Both Ron and Xentan burst into laughter like old rivals who had survived too much together.
The women exchanged nervous glances.
After a few seconds, the laughter faded.
"Don't underestimate him," Xentan told them. "I've only lost twice in my life. One of those times… was against this man."
The atmosphere shifted.
Ron's expression returned to calm. "Can we talk?"
Xentan sighed dramatically. "Why so serious? I can arrange company for you too."
"No!" Ron said quickly.
"Why not? You're young." Xentan said.
Young? Ron thought. I'm older than your entire generation.
"I'm married," Ron said flatly.
Xentan froze. "You're what?"
"Married."
Xentan stood abruptly. "Then we celebrate!"
"Wait—"
But Xentan was already clapping his hands.
"Bring everything! Food, tea, water, carbonated drinks—everything on the menu!"
"Hey," Ron tried again. "I thought we were here to discuss Eclip—"
Before he could finish, Xentan placed a firm hand over Ron's mouth.
"Who cares about that?" Xentan said loudly. "That's the past!"
His tone was playful.
Soon the food arrived.
"You all can leave," Xentan ordered.
The room emptied, leaving only the two of them.
"So, Ron. Let's talk while we eat."
Ron nodded.
"I saw your expression earlier," Xentan said. "That's why I sent them out."
"Anyway, bring your wife next time."
"Nah. Never."
"I want to see what kind of woman captured the heart of someone like you. The Great Rex."
Ron chuckled softly. "Rex? I'm Ron."
"Why did you change your identity?"
"I didn't change anything. My name was always Ron. I became Rex because my mentor told me to. Under him, I was Mercenary Rex."
"And then we met." Xentan said.
"Yeah."
"Why did you leave it?"
Ron didn't answer.
A brief silence lingered.
"Anyway," Xentan said, shifting the topic, "what were we discussing?"
"Eclipse survived because of Foster. Foster is the real mastermind."
Ron told him everything he knew—about Locki, about their current objective, about the Scar's Envelope.
"Xentan," Ron asked after a pause, "are you coming to Harper's wedding?"
"Yes," Xentan replied. "He was an old comrade."
"Good. We'll head to the house together."
"Okay, sir," Xentan said with mock obedience.
Ron smirked. "Is Lion making his return?"
Xentan shook his head. "No. Just like you, I'm Xentan—not Lion."
Morning sunlight began to spill through the window.
Ron glanced toward it. "It's morning already."
Xentan leaned back and laughed softly.
"Time flies when old monsters reunite."