Boss: "It is not nice to dodge a question with another question, you know?"
His voice was calm, but his smile was venom.
Henry: "I don't fucking care—what do you think you are fucking doing?"
Henry's voice cracked with rage, every syllable trembling with the raw force of his anger.
Boss: "Why do you care?"
The old man tilted his head, his eyes glittering with mock curiosity.
Henry's fists clenched so hard his knuckles popped. His teeth gnashed together, a guttural growl tearing out of his throat—feral, unchained, like a predator about to lunge.
Henry: "You ask why I care, old fuck? You really have the nerve to ask?"
Boss: "Yes… tell me. I am curious."
He leaned forward slightly, as if savoring the tension.
Henry's voice broke into a roar:
Henry: "BECAUSE YOU ARE HURTING MY SISTER!"
The Boss blinked—off guard for the first time.
In a blur, Henry vanished forward—inhuman speed. His fist, wrapped in the crackling blue energy, tore through the boss's bubble barrier as if it wasn't there and slammed into his jaw.
The impact thundered.
The boss's body was flung back—faster than a cannonball—smashing into a parked car almost a kilometer away. The vehicle imploded on itself, metal shrieking as fire and smoke rose from the wreck.
Emilia froze. She had seen Henry angry before… But this? This was something else.
Her little brother had just sent the boss flying.
Henry: "Emilia, are you alright? What happened—and who the hell is that old guy?"
His voice shook, the fury still vibrating in his chest.
Emilia's tears spilled over as she forced a broken smile.
Emilia: "Thank God you're here, Henry… You really are my hero."
Henry turned to Daniel, who was clutching the ruined stump of his hand, blood dripping through his fingers.
Henry: "Who's that guy?"
he asked, his voice harsh, almost trembling.
Daniel: "Don't worry about me… I've got something."
He pressed his remaining hand, now glowing with a golden aura, against his wound. The bleeding stopped, sealed by the glow, though the missing flesh did not return.
Then he knelt by Emilia, pressing the same glowing hand against her stomach wound. Her torn flesh knit slowly, leaving her pale but alive.
Henry's eyes widened, awe flashing across his face.
Henry: "Whoa… How did you do that?"
Daniel: "It's my Soul-Aura ability… I call it Healing Hand."
Henry stared blankly, as if Daniel had just spoken a foreign language.
Emilia: "Aura? Like soul energy? Henry… don't you remember? Dad used to teach us about that all the time."
Henry scratched the back of his head, shame flickering over his face.
Henry: "I never really listened to Dad's teaching…"
Emilia groaned softly, then fixed him with sharp eyes.
Emilia: "Whatever. Where are your friends? We could really use them right now."
One Hour Earlier—On the Ship
Henry slouched at the table, staring at the small wood-bored holes as if they could give him answers. His face wore defeat.
Lenny leaned forward, studying him like a puzzle.
Lenny: "You know, Henry… Maybe you should talk to her again."
Henry's head snapped up, a grin flashing like a spark.
Henry: "Yeah! You think so too, right? I should ask her again—she'll change her mind this time!"
Lenny pinched the bridge of his nose.
Lenny: "No, Henry, I meant—"
He cut himself short as Henry sank back down, deflated.
Lenny: "Look, you should confront her. Ask her why she won't open up to you."
Henry tilted his head, then stood up abruptly.
Henry: "Hmm… maybe you're right."
He turned to leave.
Henry: "Jack! You've got responsibility until I'm back!"
Jack, reclining on a lounger with sunglasses and a lemonade, lifted a lazy thumbs-up.
Back to the Present
Henry: "After looking for you in the city, I saw you fall out of the sky."
Emilia shook her head in exasperation.
Emilia: "Then I guess it's only us three against him."
They turned.
From the wreck of the car, the Boss rose. His limbs dangled twisted and broken, his head hanging at an unnatural angle. He chuckled—low at first, then louder.
Boss: "Wonderful… how wonderful."
With a sickening series of clicks and grinds, his body began to reset itself—like gears locking back into place. His legs straightened. His arm popped back into its socket. His neck snapped upright.
Emilia, Henry, and Daniel stood frozen as he strode toward them, unbroken, his smile never faltering.
Daniel: "I-Is he even human?"
Emilia's voice cracked.
Emilia: "He never was."
The Boss spread his arms theatrically.
Boss: "Oh, Emilia, that's cruel. I was born human. I simply… needed some upgrades to keep pace with you young folk."
His gaze shifted to Henry, eyes gleaming with interest.
Boss: "So—you are Emilia's brother. Had she not kept you a secret, I would have brought you into the fold much earlier."
Henry said nothing. His glare was molten rage.
Boss: "I must admit, that punch was impressive. Hitting me with that blue…"
Henry: "You talk too much, old man."
He sank into a fighting stance, the blue aura beginning to flicker again around his fists.
Henry: "Let's end it—here and now."
The Boss smiled, calm and delighted.
Boss: "Straight to business. That's what I like. A shame we had to meet under such… unpleasant circumstances."
He mirrored Henry, stepping into his own stance. Soap-bubble edges shimmered faintly at his fingertips.
Two forces stood across from each other—the storm of the new generation and the sharpened cruelty of the old.