Zenkichi left without another word.
Everything here had already been resolved, and there was nothing more to keep him.
"Do we really want to give him that much money? If we hand it over, it could break our foundations, even drag us down from being the number one power in the world!"
A senior executive finally voiced what many of them had been thinking. The moment Zenkichi's figure disappeared, the room filled with murmurs of agreement. None had dared to speak while he was present, but now that he was gone, their doubts spilled freely.
The old man sitting at the head of the table cut them down with a single cold glance.
"Do you think I don't understand that?" he said sternly. "But search your conscience—do we have any right to resist? Aside from compliance, do we have another choice?"
His words fell like a hammer. Silence followed. Every official present knew the truth—resistance was meaningless. They had no cards to play against Zenkichi.
"I think you're wrong," a new voice suddenly spoke, smooth and unfamiliar. "You still have a chance. After all, you have a one-month window. A month is enough to prepare many things."
Everyone stiffened. The voice didn't belong to any of their ranks. Heads turned toward the source, but there was nothing—only the echo of words across the conference hall.
"Who's there?" one of the officials demanded sharply.
Though no one could see the intruder, the voice itself proved his presence. Instinctively, every official braced themselves, their nerves taut.
"If you're so eager to see me, then let it be as you wish."
Before their eyes, the air shimmered. A shape emerged—a humanoid figure cloaked in shadow, with the frame of a man but the head of a dragon. The creature's aura pressed against them like an invisible weight.
"Mutant?" one official muttered in disbelief.
He didn't get the chance to say more. His vision swam, then his body was hurled across the room like a ragdoll. He slammed into the steel wall with a sickening crack, his bones shattering from the impact. His pained scream confirmed it was no illusion.
"Don't compare me to those worthless beings," the dragon-headed figure said coldly, voice laced with disdain. "They are nothing compared to me."
His reptilian eyes burned with disgust, as though the very comparison had insulted him.
"What do you want?" another official demanded. His tone tried to mask fear with anger, though every man in the room knew they were powerless. The earlier display made it clear—if this being wanted them dead, none could resist.
The dragon figure's reply was calm, almost casual, but beneath it lingered something darker, a madness that was easy to miss.
"What I want… is simple. I'm here to help you kill Zenkichi."
The words fell into the silent chamber like thunder, shaking every heart present.