Back in the meeting room, the mood had grown sluggish.
Hashima was fully asleep now, head tilted back, soft snoring escaping him.
Bomb slumped over the table, chin resting on his arms. "How long has it been..."
Fanny yawned, stretching her arms above her head. "Feels like forever."
Alya glanced at the hologram feed, rubbing her eyes. "Still no movement."
Saito leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, staring blankly at the ceiling. "Man... stakeouts are way more boring than I thought they'd be."
Shiro, still composed despite the hour, offered a faint smile. "Patience is part of the job, Saito."
Saito groaned. "Yeah, yeah, I know..."
"Doesn't make it any less painful, though."
On the hologram feed, the village street remained quiet, dimly lit by scattered lanterns.
Rin leaned against a wall, eyelids drooping heavily.
"Man... nothing's happening..."
He yawned widely.
"Maybe I'll just close my eyes for a sec..."
Within moments, his breathing evened out, head slumping slightly to the side.
Kaito, still alert beside him, glanced over with a flat expression.
"...Seriously?"
He sighed, shaking his head, eyes still scanning the street carefully.
"Guess I'm on my own for now."
Alpha, watching the feed back in the meeting room, let out a small, amused breath.
"Looks like your friend has fallen asleep on the job."
Saito groaned, rubbing his temple. "Of course he has."
Kaito's voice crackled faintly through the feed. "Don't worry. I've got this."
"Someone has to stay sharp around here."
Fanny giggled softly. "At least one of them's responsible."
Bomb smirked. "Bet you five coins Rin wakes up right when something actually happens."
Alya raised an eyebrow. "That's oddly specific."
Bomb shrugged. "Trust me. It's always how it goes."
Alpha tapped the table thoughtfully.
"Well..."
"I didn't expect this to take so long."
He glanced toward the feed.
"Kaito, Rin — you two can stay there and patrol the area a bit."
"If anything happens, report immediately."
Kaito's voice crackled through. "Understood."
Alpha shut off the hologram.
Hashima jolted awake, blinking rapidly.
"Wha—what happened? Did I miss something?"
Makuto, standing beside him, spoke flatly. "Nothing, sir."
"You slept through the entire wait."
Hashima rubbed his eyes. "Ah. Good. Good nap, then."
Alpha straightened, glancing around the room.
"I think we can end this meeting early."
"I actually have a meeting with—"
Suddenly, a powerful auris pulsed through the room.
Alpha's expression shifted.
"...And he's here."
Everyone turned toward the door.
It creaked open slowly.
An old man stepped inside — long white beard, sharp spectacles, dressed in an elegant coat resembling that of a duke. His presence alone seemed to command the room.
He approached Alpha directly.
"My apologies for interrupting your mission, Alpha."
Alpha shook his head. "It's fine."
Saito leaned toward him, whispering. "Who is this?"
Alpha answered plainly. "This is Olsen."
"A Primordeus."
Saito's eyes went wide. "Wait, what?"
Alpha continued, unfazed. "Just as Jokun City has Shiro..."
"This city has Olsen."
"The God of Mind."
Olsen inclined his head politely toward Saito.
"Nice to meet you, young one."
Saito blinked. "So... you're like Shiro?"
Olsen offered a faint smile. "Even though I haven't crossed paths with him often, yes."
Saito let out a low whistle. "Wow."
Alpha added, "Feerus City worships him as the reincarnation of Goha."
Alya's eyes lit up with recognition.
"Now I know—"
"Goha, the God of Mind."
"Considered the most brilliant god in this entire world."
Olsen simply nodded, calm and composed, accepting the reverence without a hint of arrogance.
"Reputation aside..."
His gaze shifted toward Alpha, tone growing more serious.
"We have matters to discuss."
Alpha nodded toward Olsen, then gestured for the others to step out.
Saito, along with the rest of the crew, Shiro, Hashima, and Makuto, filed out of the meeting room, the heavy doors closing softly behind them.
Once in the hallway, Saito glanced toward Shiro, curiosity evident.
"So... you know him?"
Shiro nodded slowly, expression thoughtful.
"Not personally."
"But my instincts tell me..."
He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"He's likely the leader among all the Primordeus."
Saito's eyebrows shot up.
"Wait, seriously?"
He glanced back toward the closed doors.
"So he's like... really powerful, then?"
Shiro chuckled softly, shaking his head.
"Strength alone doesn't prove someone is the strongest."
Saito tilted his head, confused. "Huh?"
Hashima smirked, leaning against the wall. "He means it's not just about raw power, kid."
"Being a leader takes more than muscle."
Fanny crossed her arms, curious. "So what does it take, then?"
Shiro's gaze grew distant for a moment, thoughtful.
"Wisdom. Influence. The ability to guide others without needing to prove yourself through force."
He glanced toward Saito.
"Something you're already beginning to understand, actually."
Saito blinked, caught off guard by the compliment.
"...Me?"
Shiro simply smiled, not elaborating further.
Bomb nudged Saito's shoulder, grinning. "Careful, Captain. Sounds like you're being groomed for something big."
Saito rubbed the back of his neck, laughing nervously. "I'm just trying to save one scientist guy, honestly."
Makuto, ever composed, added quietly, "Perhaps that's exactly how it starts."
The group continued down the hallway, the weight of Shiro's words lingering in the air as they made their way back toward their rooms.
Saito let out a long breath, glancing down at his hands.
"There's still a lot of things I need to learn, huh."
Shiro's expression softened, a calm assurance settling over his features.
"You will."
"In time."
"Nobody starts out understanding everything."
"Not even gods."
Saito glanced up at him, surprised. "Wait, seriously? Even you?"
Shiro chuckled lightly. "Especially me."
He looked ahead, a distant, almost nostalgic look crossing his face.
"Growth doesn't stop just because you're powerful."
"If anything, it matters more."
Saito nodded slowly, letting the words settle.
Then he glanced sideways, a small grin forming.
"Anyway..."
"Feels like it's been forever since we've actually worked together on something."
Shiro raised an eyebrow, amused.
"Has it?"
Saito nodded. "Yeah. Feels like ages ago."
Shiro's gaze grew distant, a fond smile tugging at his lips.
"That reminds me..."
"Of the first time I came to your mansion."
Saito immediately let out a chuckle, shaking his head.
"Oh, man..."
He rubbed the back of his neck, grinning at the memory.
"Yeah, that was... quite the introduction."
Shiro's smile widened slightly.
"You were so on edge back then."
"Practically had your hand on your sword the entire conversation."
Saito laughed, a little embarrassed. "Hey, in my defense, I didn't know if you were an enemy or not!"
"You just showed up out of nowhere, dropping all these titles like 'God of Sovereignty' and 'Primordeus.'"
"What was I supposed to think?"
Shiro chuckled warmly. "Fair point."
"Still, you handled it better than most would have."
Saito rubbed his neck, a proud grin forming despite himself. "Well, yeah. I try."
Kaito's voice crackled faintly through the earlier hologram-linked device still clipped to Saito's belt, but he barely noticed, too caught up in the conversation.
Bomb, walking a few steps ahead, glanced back with a smirk. "You two gonna reminisce all day, or are we heading back to our rooms?"
Fanny giggled. "Let them have their moment, Bomb."
Shiro glanced toward the group, amused. "Fair enough."
He gestured down the hallway.
"Let's continue. Rest well tonight, everyone."
"Tomorrow, the real work begins."
Saito nodded, determination settling back into his expression.
"Right."
He glanced toward the others, a confident smile forming.
"Let's make sure we're all ready."