At a Massive Government Bounty Hunters' Club — "Aegis Hall"
The place was alive.
A colossal underground hall, its walls covered with gigantic screens, digital banners, and three-dimensional holographic displays.
This was not a gathering for amateurs—
It was where the most dangerous bounty hunters in the world convened.
Men and women from every nation.
Scarred faces.
Advanced weaponry.
Eyes that had long forgotten hesitation.
Suddenly—
The images on the screens changed.
A single name appeared, unmistakably clear:
KOUICHI
Bounty: 5,000,000 USD
Status: Capture Alive Only
A murmur rippled through the hall—
quickly turning into mocking laughter.
— "What is this?! A kid worth five million?!"
— "Is the government's secret unit really incapable of catching a child?! Hahaha!"
— "Looks like an annoying job… alive only. That limits things."
Mockery filled the hall.
But elsewhere within the building…
There was no laughter.
A Sealed Chamber — The Numbers' Wing
A completely isolated room, protected by full jamming systems.
A long black table stood at its center, surrounded by five figures.
Number 1 sat at the head of the table.
His voice was calm—yet razor-sharp.
Number 1:
"We lost contact with Number 5 a short while ago."
Every gaze snapped toward him.
Number 3:
"It seems that extraterrestrial entity is responsible."
Number 1 slowly clenched his fingers.
Number 1:
"Extraordinary intelligence… capturing Number 5 this easily is far from normal."
The young woman seated to the right leaned forward slightly.
Her features were youthful, but her eyes carried forced confidence.
The New Number 5:
"I know I'm still new… and that I replaced him."
She hesitated, then asked:
"But… what was the former Number 5 like?"
Number 3 exhaled, as if recalling a heavy memory.
Number 3:
"He was extremely cautious.
Every step calculated a thousand times."
He added quietly:
"That's why we're stunned by how he fell."
The new Number 5 folded her arms.
The New Number 5:
"That's exactly what worries me.
We know his location thanks to the tracking devices implanted in our bodies…"
She raised her eyes.
"But this could be a trap."
Number 2, a young man in his early twenties with sharp eyes, spoke up.
Number 2:
"We move with extreme caution."
He paused, then said gravely:
"We don't know if he intends to keep him alive.
He's not from this planet… killing Number 5 could be easier than breathing for him."
Number 4, a woman in her mid-thirties, smirked.
Number 4:
"He's just one person."
She tapped her weapons case.
"I can take him out remotely with my new rifle."
Number 1 slowly raised his head and looked directly at her.
Number 1:
"He may be one person…"
His voice hardened.
"But we don't know if he's alone—or if he has copies, tools, or things we've never seen before."
Then, coldly:
"Never underestimate what a single individual can do."
Number 4 fell silent.
She had no response.
A heavy silence settled—
Until Number 3's phone rang.
Everyone looked at the screen.
One name.
Unknown Caller
The Numbers exchanged glances.
Number 3 reached out and answered.
Number 3:
"Who's calling?"
A calm, confident voice came through—
laced with faint amusement.
Caller:
"Oh… hello, Number 3."
A brief pause.
"It's an honor to finally speak with you."
Another pause.
"I'm the extraterrestrial you've been looking for."
Then, clearly:
"You may call me… glober."
Silence crushed the room.
glober.
No one moved.
Not even Number 1.
The voice was clear, steady—
as if speaking from the next room, not from the other side of a hunt.
Number 3 finally cleared his throat, forcing composure.
Number 3:
"That's bold—calling us directly."
A quiet chuckle came from the other end.
glober:
"Bold?"
A pause.
"No. Just efficient."
Quick glances were exchanged.
Number 1 gestured for Number 3 to continue.
Number 3:
"Where is Number 5?"
The reply came instantly.
glober:
"He's breathing."
Then, neutrally:
"That alone should prove my good faith."
Number 2 clenched his fist beneath the table.
Number 2:
"If you think kidnapping him will protect you—"
glober cut him off immediately.
glober:
"I don't bargain for protection."
A brief silence.
"I told you—I save time."
The new Number 5 spoke despite her tension.
The New Number 5:
"What do you want exactly?"
glober smiled—audible in his tone.
glober:
"A good question… from someone who hasn't fully earned that seat yet."
Tension spiked.
glober continued, his voice steady and emotionless:
"What I want right now is very simple…
Don't move.
Don't issue orders.
And don't do anything stupid."
He paused for a second, then added with lethal calm:
"Because any reckless move you make…
will be the direct cause of your companion's death."
Number 1 slammed the table, his voice sharp with threat:
— "If you harm him, I will—"
glober interrupted instantly, never raising his voice:
"Save your threats for yourself."
Then, coldly:
"Killers like you possess nothing that can touch me.
And as I said before… his life now depends solely on your decisions."
Number 3 intervened, forcing a diplomatic tone.
— "Wait. I don't want hostility between us, extraterrestrial.
All I seek is an exchange of scientific knowledge.
I'm a brilliant scientist—my goal is advancement."
glober's reply was immediate:
"And is murdering innocents how you advance science?"
Number 3's voice froze for a moment.
— "What exactly do you mean?"
glober:
"Don't pretend ignorance. I've read every one of your files."
A pause—then harsher:
"Human experiments.
Vaccines and drugs developed at the cost of lives…
Thousands of children and women died because of you."
A faint scoff followed:
"And you call that progress?
That's ridiculous.
The difference between you and me is that I don't pretend to be anything other than a killer."
Heavy silence.
Finally, Number 3 spoke—calm, but icy.
— "Those experiments were necessary.
Without them, science would never advance."
He added:
"Trust me… what I do is ultimately for humanity's benefit."
glober laughed—short, humorless.
"Trust you? That's a good joke."
Slowly, deliberately:
"I studied your species weeks ago and reached one conclusion."
His voice dropped slightly.
"Humans who seek only money, power, or fame should never be trusted."
Number 3 hesitated.
— "Then… there is no peaceful solution between us."
His tone abruptly sharpened.
— "In that case, I'll have no choice but to capture you and dissect you.
Perhaps I'll discover something new."
glober's response was utterly cold:
"I expected that answer."
Then:
"But remember… for now, you stay exactly where you are."
A pause.
"And if you or your team make a move…
I'll return your companion as a corpse."
The call ended.
Silence swallowed the room.
Number 2, quietly:
"From his voice… he's completely serious."
Number 4 turned to the leader.
"What now, Commander?"
Number 1 raised his head, eyes glinting with cold resolve.
"We move… quickly."
Then added:
"And we execute the operation in absolute secrecy."