Chapter 612: Meeting.

“… What the hell was his problem?”

The question came as an annoyed whisper from Liberty Star, who found herself ready for a fight at some point. The rest of her team only heaved sighs of relief, feeling the tension dissolve into the air.

“That was him, right?” Strike asked. “The Red Demon…”

“Don’t you mean the Cyberpunk?” Erebus chuckled. “Because that’s exactly what he is: just a little punk.”

The others did not share the shadowy man’s lighthearted take.

“He’s a lot more dangerous than I expected.” Huntress glanced at the broad back in front of her. “The brat didn’t even spare us a glance. He was measuring his chances against you.”

“Ah…”

In a rare show of emotions, Paragon wore a frown on his face. His gaze hadn’t left the same spot, and since the red-haired youth had already left, the one who met it was the blue-haired girl.

“Uh-oh!” Popping up without a warning, Erebus looked between his team leader and the girl. “Hey man, she’s cute and all, but you can’t have that age gap in this day and age.”

Paragon closed his eyes and heaved a sigh, making it clear that the comments were finally getting through to him. He elected not to say anything, however.

“Let’s get this over with.” He said. “I don’t want to deal with the press.”

As he turned toward the memorial, his gaze happened to brush over the crowd. He stopped in his tracks and looked again, startling those who happened to be in his line of sight.

“Is something the matter?”

Huntress followed his gaze, then scanned the crowd more thoroughly. The only thing that seemed like it would be a bother was the reporters standing at the ready, waiting for the right moment to pounce.

“… it’s nothing…”

Choosing not to elaborate, the strongest tore his gaze off the empty spot in the crowd and went on with what he came to do.

~[ ]~

It was another sunny day in Vetrogard. As summer arrived and the world forgot the cold of winter, more and more people took to the long beach, eager to enjoy the sun, which wasn’t obstructed by year-long clouds.

The desire to party and play came from other reasons, including the past month being free of any EI incidents. No villains showed their ugly faces to cause chaos, and the heroes were left with nothing to do for weeks on end.

“Damned mongrels.”

Some enjoyed the sun more than others, while some hated the very idea of people enjoying anything at all. The blonde man looking down from atop his ivory tower was one of them, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a glass filled with wine, the color of which matched his scarlet suit. Light reflected on the golden brooch hanging on the left side of his coat, granting the tiger it depicted a bright glimmer.

“All they do is fool around.” His right hand moved, swirling the wine in his glass. “Who gave them the right to waste time like that?”

“Don’t you know? Cattle never find out the truth until it steps into the slaughterhouse.”

His left eyebrow twitching, the blonde man turned, clicking his tongue for the umpteenth time that day.

“Isabel…” His voice dripped with venom as he muttered the name. “I see you’re early for once.”

“I can say the same about you, Kaiser.”

A pale woman walked into the room, her steps making no sounds even with the heels she wore. As the door remained closed the entire time, it was a mystery as to how she got inside. The curves of her alluring body were further accentuated by the tight, dark green dress she wore. The single strap on her left shoulder was held together by a coiling snake.

Taking a seat at the long table, she rested her chin in her palm and spoke with a smile.

“What’s wrong? Getting antsy about today’s meeting?”

The man, Kaiser, scuffed as he turned around. “I’m more surprised by the good mood you’re in.”

“Why wouldn’t I be in a good mood?” The dark-haired woman glanced to her left. “Things got a lot more interesting.”

The door slid open just then, revealing the imposing figure of a man who looked like a stack of bricks wearing a brown suit. Large shades hid his eyes, and the way he kept his head held high made it appear as if he was checking the height of the ceiling. As eye-catching as he was, what drew the most attention was the little girl sitting on his shoulder.

“Geh…”

Her expression warped the instant she saw who it was inside the meeting room. Isabel waved at her with a relaxed smile, while Kaiser turned away, shaking as he coughed.

“You… you really don’t change…” his coughing turned into laughter as he turned to look at the mismatched pair. “Do you, little mouse?”

“Shut it, stupid cat!” The girl jumped down, landing like a weightless feather. “The only little thing in this room is that worm between your legs.”

“C’mon, Chimi,” the big guy stepped into the room. “You really shouldn’t insult a man like that.”

“No,” A tall man emerged from behind him, drawing his long raven hair like a cape. “There is no better weapon to use against men with excessive pride.”

“Jean, you bastard…”

As he began to grit his teeth, his smile having disappeared, a hand fell on Kaiser’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Kaiser!” A boy who couldn’t be older than fifteen looked up at him with a smile as pure as his white hair. “You know what they say: it’s not the size that-”

“Fu- Sagi, you fucking bastard! You almost gave me a heart attack!”

“C’mon now, I was just about to say something profound.”

“Quiet.”

A single word banished the mellow atmosphere in the room, and everyone’s expressions suddenly hardened as they turned to face the same direction. People appearing out of nowhere seemed like a normal occurrence in that place, so seeing the old man standing at the end of the table farthest from the door didn’t seem too strange.

“We do not have the time for idle chatter.” He said. “Leave it for when this meeting is done.”

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