"Well, I get what you want to do, but it's better to stop." Banery sighed on the other side of the phone, making Leo raise an eyebrow.
After a good night spent with Rose, finally sleeping soundly, Leo went over the results Alfred had brought him. The evidence confirmed the scope of the criminal organization.
they handled all kinds of illicit dealings. What Leo had uncovered was only the beginning, and if he wanted to see the whole picture, he'd have to consider going after the organization's main base.
Ultimately, Leo decided to call Banery and discuss his plan.
To his surprise, Banery denied him outright. Which was unexpected—given the information Leo had gathered, it should've been a piece of cake to at least destroy the visible part.
"I know what you're thinking, but it's not a matter of power; it's a matter of interest," Banery explained. "The reason they still exist—like it or not—is because they serve a purpose in our society."
Like any society, it had laws, and it had a darker side to balance the light. something even more pronounced in the supernatural world Leo was now navigating.
That organization didn't exist for profit alone; no, it served as a controller of chaos.
With it around, the psychopaths and corrupted creatures at least had a deterrent, along with hunters keeping their behavior in check.
"I understand," Leo said. He got the reason, but he still couldn't let go completely, so his answer came out grumpy.
Banery recognized the tone—almost identical to his father's—and knew Leo was still trying to find a loophole. Sighing, he offered a solution.
"If all you're after is information, then leave it to me," Banery added. "I still owe that ass-hat a favor. I doubt he'll mind my visit this time."
Leo understood the idea, but that still wasn't the only reason he wanted to attack them. He also wanted to send a message.
This attack had been a full declaration of war against him. If he didn't answer, he feared attracting more hyenas—something he definitely didn't want to deal with repeatedly.
After all, the main reason they had targeted him in the first place was the belief that he was weak. Otherwise, they never would've accepted the mission.
"Well, there's that, but also…" Leo explained his reasoning to Banery.
"Then just take it to the branch," Banery said plainly. "Since they accepted a mission under the table and without the master's permission, he won't have the right to protest. And flexing there for a couple of minutes will get the point across."
Leo almost slapped himself for missing such a simple detail. Sighing, he said, "I guess you're right. Thanks for the help."
"No problem," Banery laughed heartily. "By the way, I was planning to drop by next week to see you, but since Isabella has work in the area, we'll be coming too. That okay?"
"Of course," Leo affirmed eagerly. "Just in time for a barbecue."
Leo saw every opportunity as a chance for a big meal. And knowing Rose, she would definitely have changed her family by then—and he would absolutely have them meet his grandfather.
"Also, call me if you need backup," Banery added, pausing. "Not that you'll need it."
Leo bid him farewell and closed the line just as Rose stepped in through the balcony door.
"Leo, what's wrong?" she asked, moving behind him—he was too deep in thought to notice—and resting her head on his shoulder.
Snapping back, he stood up and pulled her into his lap. "Nothing. Just a small talk about last night's attack."
Picking her up, he carried her back to the room.
After a quick, fun morning shower, Leo stepped into the kitchen—not only to make breakfast but also to teach an eager Rose how to cook.
By the time they finished preparing, they noticed Unohana standing in the doorway of the kitchen.
But their surprise deepened when they sensed another presence entering through the garden door—and it was Yoruichi.
After setting the table, Leo suddenly didn't know what to say, especially with Yoruichi's puffed cheeks making him feel a completely unjustified guilty conscience (sure… totally unjustified).
"Yoruichi! Right on time, join us for breakfast." Thankfully, Rosalia defused the tension, dragging Yoruichi to the table.
After a few seconds of silent eating, Yoruichi began responding to Rose. Little by little, she regained her usual attitude.
Seeing this, Leo let out a quiet sigh of relief. At least he wouldn't have to deal with a grumpy cat today.
When the meal ended, Unohana looked at Leo with a smile and stood up.
"Now, let's head out and start your training session," Unohana said, leaving the room. "We'll be training behind the veil today. Find me in the usual place."
"Great," Leo grumbled. Yoruichi opened her eyes wide, glancing at Rose for an explanation.
Rose only shrugged, and Yoruichi got the gist. Then she looked at Leo with a hint of admiration—after all, Unohana was known for her torturous training. She knew firsthand.
"You've got guts, I'll give you that," Yoruichi said—probably the first time she'd ever spoken to Leo directly.
"Thanks," Leo smirked. "Means a lot coming from the Flash Goddess."
Catching the tease in his tone, she flinched before sighing. Then an idea struck her, making her smirk as she left the room to follow Unohana.
Leo didn't think much of it and headed to pick up his gear—not wanting to get punched for being late. But Rose stuck with him, interested in watching his training.
At first, he refused, not liking the idea of her seeing him get his ass handed to him. But one cat-like look from her killed every complaint in his throat.
Walking for a while through the forest, Leo opened the entrance to the place where he usually trained.
Normally, Unohana stood in the middle of the clearing, waiting for him. But today she was sitting under an umbrella with a teapot beside her.
Instead, Yoruichi stood in the middle of the clearing, fully in her fighting outfit—clearly ready to go.
Rosalia realized something and was about to ask Yoruichi, but Leo stopped her with a pat on the shoulder.
"It's a good chance," Leo said with a smile. "Go join Unohana-san and enjoy the show."
Leo tended to hide his emotions around outsiders—and from the look of it, Yoruichi was the same.
So this fight might help them at least understand each other a little.
Taking off his jacket, he stepped in front of Yoruichi. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, she raised a hand to stop him.
"Show me what you've got." That was all she said, and Leo fully understood.
Looking back at Unohana—who nodded—Leo removed the bracelets from his wrists and flicked them aside. The moment they touched the ground, they cracked the earth under their weight—startling Rosalia.
He did the same with the ones on his legs, shocking her even more. Unohana had been the one to put these restraints on him, so she wasn't surprised.
But Yoruichi, despite knowing it was part of Unohana's training, was still taken aback by their sheer weight.
As part of his training, Leo was forbidden from removing the weights. And since he adapted faster than expected, Unohana increased them daily. Now Leo could move normally under five tons of weight—roughly three times normal gravity.
Hopping lightly to adjust to the sudden freedom, he settled into a stance.
"You ready?" Yoruichi asked. The moment Leo nodded, they vanished and reappeared in the middle of the clearing, trading punches.
The instant they connected, a sonic boom erupted—pushing Leo back one step, while Yoruichi was forced back several, surprised but not shocked. Leo's greater mass made the result expected.
Yoruichi increased her speed and was about to land a kick on Leo's head, but at the last moment, she retreated—sensing something.
It was the right call. The Leo in front of her vanished and reappeared at her flank.
Not sensing any energy manipulation, Yoruichi knew it was a pure movement technique—making her smirk in interest without even realizing it.
"Good trick," Yoruichi murmured before attacking again. Leo diverted her punch and countered, only to be blocked and forced back out of her range.
From Rosalia's perspective, all she could see were phantoms appearing and disappearing—each clash producing a sonic boom or burst of dust.
A sight she had never witnessed—not even as a guild adventurer. Then she remembered what Leo once said:
"The supernatural world is as vast as the sea."
Now she understood why.
Something inside her ignited. She clenched her fists and looked at Unohana.
"Unohana-san."
Unohana glanced back, surprised by the determination in Rose's eyes—and already knowing what was coming.
"Can I ask for training?" Rosalia asked. She didn't want to be Leo's mate without the strength to stand beside him.
As she was now, she was Leo's weak point. Witnessing Leo's true level made her feel like a terrifying liability—something she couldn't accept.
Not to mention the fact that her sister could fight Leo to a draw.
"It won't be easy," Unohana said seriously.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Rose nodded.
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