Beneath his scarf, the exposed half of Shogen Ikuma's face twisted as mockery and ridicule echoed around him.
His venomous gaze swept toward the lowest-ranked seats around the oval conference table.
That woman was perched intimately beside the man, practically sitting in his embrace.
Such behavior was outrageously inappropriate for an occasion like this.
Combined with what she had said to him earlier, it made Shogen want to tear her apart.
However, the man beside her had inspired an unprecedented terror in him during the brief instant their eyes met.
That fear was stronger than anything he had experienced through all his previous brushes with death. Even if every past crisis were combined, they would still pale in comparison.
The man's gaze had seemed to possess physical weight. It crushed the air from Shogen's lungs and made his heart feel as though it had stopped beating.
For one fleeting moment, he had even experienced the illusion that he had been killed. He'd needed to reassure himself that he was still alive.
Every survival instinct in his body had warned him not to make the wrong move.
Only after he stepped aside and the man passed him, taking that suffocating gaze with him, did Shogen finally relax.
He felt as weak as if he had barely survived a grueling battle against a Gastrea. Cold sweat had already soaked his back.
Damn it!
He would repay this humiliation.
Although Shogen was furious, he knew he might not be able to muster the courage to confront the man directly again.
In that case, he simply wouldn't face him directly.
He could take revenge from the shadows.
Kisara did not turn around, but she could clearly sense the hostility aimed at her.
It had to be that fool from earlier.
He was nothing more than a ridiculous clown. Since he lacked the courage to step forward, there was no reason to pay him any attention.
Even if Kisara did nothing, someone else would deal with him the moment he tried anything.
For now, she was more interested in testing Kain's composure.
Like a curious cat repeatedly approaching the edge of danger, Kisara gradually found herself unable to resist teasing the man sharing her seat.
She shifted even closer, pressing her slender body against his side.
At the same time, her arms tightened around his neck, bringing her face close enough that their cheeks nearly touched.
She deliberately breathed softly beside his ear.
At that moment, the doors to the conference hall opened again.
A bald man dressed in an official government uniform entered, causing Kisara to compose herself slightly.
The meeting was about to begin.
The official noticed her unusual seating arrangement and opened his mouth as if he wanted to comment.
In the end, he apparently decided it was none of his business.
"There is only one reason we have gathered everyone here today. We have an important assignment for all of you, and it may be regarded as an official commission from the government."
Everyone fell silent.
"Due to the sensitive nature of this incident, any company unwilling to participate must leave immediately. Once the details have been disclosed, withdrawal will no longer be permitted."
After delivering that solemn warning, he paused and surveyed the room, carefully studying everyone's reaction.
"Very well. It appears no one intends to withdraw. In that case, I will allow someone else to explain the situation."
With that, the bald official stepped away from the large screen behind him and left the room.
The instant the door closed, the screen lit up.
"Huh?"
Kisara's eyes widened.
She was not surprised because the person appearing on the screen was the ruler of the Tokyo Area.
Nor was she surprised by the presence of the man standing beside that ruler, even though she wanted nothing more than to kill him.
The real reason was that Kain had finally responded to all her teasing.
He abruptly pulled her closer and covered her mouth, preventing her from saying anything.
"Everyone, thank you for..."
The voice from the screen suddenly faltered.
Its owner was a girl whose appearance contrasted sharply with Kisara's. She had silver hair and wore an immaculate white formal dress.
In ancient times, she might have been described as a saint, while Kisara would have been cast as the witch standing in opposition to her.
Kisara could not respond because Kain had chosen that moment to retaliate.
"Ahem. President Tendo..."
Lady Seitenshi's words trailed off again.
Kisara saw an unprecedentedly awkward expression appear on her face. Apparently, the transmission allowed both sides to see each other.
It wasn't that Kisara was ignoring her.
She simply couldn't pull away.
To everyone else, it probably looked as though Kain was affectionately holding the back of her head. In reality, his hand was keeping her firmly in place.
She couldn't even bite his hand. One of his fingers rested against the side of her jaw in exactly the right position to prevent her from closing it.
When Lady Seitenshi appeared, the presidents of the other Civil Security Agencies had all risen respectfully, shocked to discover that she was their client.
Of course, they were even more astonished that Kisara had remained seated and was carrying on in such an intimate-looking manner in front of everyone.
"Kisara..."
Miori secretly raised a thumb toward her rival.
Impressive.
"The nature of this commission is quite simple. I want you to eliminate the Gastrea that entered the Tokyo Area yesterday and infected one person. In addition, you must safely recover a suitcase that the Gastrea most likely swallowed."
The suitcase was clearly the true focus of the mission.
An image of a silver case appeared on the screen.
They had gathered this many specialists in hunting Gastrea and offered such a generous reward. Whatever the case contained, it was clearly far from ordinary.
Did Kisara know what was inside?
Miori was deeply curious about Kisara's earlier remark that the story was about to begin. That suggested she might already know about today's commission and even the suitcase's contents.
Miori raised her hand.
"Do you have a question, Miss Shiba?"
"What is inside the suitcase?"
She asked with an innocent expression.
Miori had not joined the meeting because she intended to participate in the recovery mission. She was attending as a weapons merchant offering sponsorship and equipment to the Civil Security officers present.
"I'm sorry, but that information cannot be disclosed."
The answer did not surprise her in the slightest.
She had asked only to see how Lady Seitenshi would respond.
"Since our incompetent ruler refuses to tell you, perhaps I should explain it myself."
The sudden interruption startled Miori.
A man was sitting in a previously empty seat on the opposite side of the oval table.
He wore a mask, a top hat, and a formal tailcoat.
When had he entered?
No one had sensed his arrival. That alone proved he was exceptionally powerful.
With his legs resting on the table, the masked man suddenly lifted his body in a motion that seemed to defy gravity.
He landed standing atop the table.
From its center, he stared directly at Lady Seitenshi on the screen.
Out of the corner of her eye, Miori glanced back toward Kisara.
Her rival had initially appeared to be struggling against Kain's grip, unable to break free.
Now, however, Kisara seemed to have abandoned her resistance and decided to remain comfortably where she was.
(End of Chapter)
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