The enormous hall slowly settled into silence.
The Bureau's headquarters had been designed to make everyone who entered feel small. Its architecture resembled a colossal coliseum, with countless seats arranged in rising tiers around a massive circular platform at the center.
That platform was where the important people sat.
At its very heart stood a large roundtable, surrounded by seats reserved for the heads of the various families and organizations represented within the Bureau. Behind each of them sat their respective associates, guards, servants, and other members of their entourages.
The room was packed.
People from different parts of the world had gathered for the meeting, each representing interests that ranged from criminal syndicates to powerful families and organizations operating far beyond the reach of ordinary governments.
Yet despite the sheer number of people present, there was one seat that remained empty.
No one dared comment on it.
Eventually, the murmuring throughout the hall began to die down.
Then—
Creaaaak.
A large door at the far end of the chamber slowly swung open.
Every head turned.
A man stepped through.
He was dressed from head to toe in golden regalia, every piece of clothing deliberately designed to emphasize his position. A magnificent furry cloak rested across his shoulders, trailing behind him as he walked.
And atop his head sat a crown.
He didn't need an introduction.
The moment he entered the room, the atmosphere changed.
Conversations ceased. Bodies straightened. Several people who had been comfortably leaning against their chairs suddenly sat upright.
The man walked toward the empty seat without saying a word.
His expression was cold and serious.
He reached the roundtable.
Then he sat.
Only then did several people in the room realize that they had been holding their breath.
A collective exhale passed through the chamber.
Mike noticed it immediately.
He glanced around before leaning toward Veronica.
"Hey V, who's he?"
Veronica turned toward him.
"He's the emperor, he's actually from this world—"
She didn't get to finish.
The Emperor lifted his eyes.
His gaze met hers.
Veronica stopped speaking.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
The Emperor's expression remained perfectly composed.
Veronica's eyes narrowed.
She wasn't intimidated.
If anything, she seemed almost annoyed that he had interrupted her.
The corner of the Emperor's mouth lifted ever so slightly.
It wasn't quite a smile.
More like amusement.
He lowered his gaze and returned his attention to the document his attendant had placed before him.
Veronica watched him for another moment before turning back toward Mike.
She opened her mouth, preparing to continue her explanation.
Then—
Snap.
Veronica blinked.
Everything changed.
The enormous coliseum disappeared.
The people surrounding her vanished.
The roundtable was gone.
Even the floor beneath her feet seemed to shift.
When Veronica opened her eyes again, she was standing inside a courtroom.
A courtroom that hadn't existed a second ago.
The walls stretched high above her, enormous pillars supporting a ceiling that seemed to disappear into darkness. Rows of seats surrounded the central area, filled with people who had somehow been transported here with her.
Confused murmurs immediately erupted throughout the room.
"What—?"
"Where are we?"
"When did—?"
"What happened?"
The confusion lasted only a few seconds.
Bang!
A gavel struck the desk.
The sound echoed throughout the courtroom.
Silence immediately followed.
Veronica slowly looked toward the judge's bench.
The Emperor sat there.
But the crown was gone.
In its place was a judge's wig.
His golden regalia had somehow been replaced by the robes of a judge.
Veronica stared at him.
The Emperor calmly looked down from his elevated position.
Then he looked directly at her.
"Sit."
His voice was calm.
There was no anger behind it.
No shouting.
Yet the command carried an authority that made Veronica instinctively tense.
She remained standing.
The Emperor sighed.
He lifted one hand.
Then he made a simple downward motion.
The effect was immediate.
BOOM!
Gravity crashed down on Veronica.
Her entire body was suddenly weighed down by an invisible force.
Her knees buckled.
She gritted her teeth and fought against it.
"What the—?!"
The pressure increased.
The ground beneath her cracked.
Veronica's muscles trembled as she tried to resist, but the force pressing down on her was overwhelming.
Slowly, unwillingly, her body was forced downward.
Her knees struck the floor.
Then the rest of her followed.
She was forced into the seat waiting behind her.
Veronica glared at the Emperor.
He didn't react.
Instead, he turned his attention toward the courtroom.
"Let the witness come forth."
A man sitting among the spectators suddenly stood.
Before Veronica could properly register what was happening—
Snap.
The man vanished from his seat.
He appeared inside the witness box.
Veronica's eyes widened.
She recognized him immediately.
"Louis Marcel."
The man adjusted his clothing before looking at her.
"That's Mr Marcel to you young lady, but given your parents I understand why you've got no manners."
Veronica scoffed.
"That's some big talk coming from someone who's son was humbled by the emperor, I guess you finally learnt your lesson."
Louis's expression darkened.
"That boy is no longer my son—"
Snap.
Louis froze.
Something felt wrong.
He tried to speak.
Nothing came out.
His eyes widened.
He immediately raised his hands toward his face.
His fingers touched his lips.
There were none.
His mouth was gone.
Not covered.
Not sealed.
Gone.
His entire mouth had simply vanished, leaving behind smooth skin.
Panic flashed across his face.
Veronica stared.
Then she felt something strange around her own face.
Her eyes widened.
She touched her lips.
Nothing.
Her mouth was gone too.
The Emperor looked between the two of them.
"Who gave you two permission to speak?"
Neither could answer.
The Emperor calmly picked up the documents resting before him.
After briefly scanning them, he looked back toward Louis.
"Give me your testimony."
Louis's mouth suddenly returned.
He immediately sucked in a breath.
His eyes darted toward Veronica before he cautiously began speaking.
"Last night, as I visited a hotel..."
Veronica rolled her eyes.
Visited, he says.
Louis scowled.
He hadn't heard her say anything, but judging from her expression, he knew exactly what she was thinking.
"...Yes, as I visited a hotel I noticed some otherworldly activity taking place at the Esposito house, and they were anything but subtle about it, especially Veronica."
The Emperor turned toward Veronica.
"Is what he says true?"
Veronica leaned back slightly.
"Lying is pointless, don't even try."
Veronica sighed.
"Alright fine I won't deny it, but you need to know I was under the influence of a drug and maybe it's just a coincidence that the witness has shares in the drug industry."
Louis immediately slammed his fist against the side of the witness box.
"That's no where near enough proof—"
"Silence!"
The Emperor's voice suddenly thundered through the courtroom.
For the first time since entering the room, he had raised his voice.
The effect was immediate.
Even the wind outside seemed to obey him.
Silence fell over the entire courtroom.
Louis slowly lowered his fist.
The Emperor turned back toward Veronica.
"Continue."
Veronica hesitated.
"...Y-yes, the Esposito house was infiltrated and I was shot with a stimulant."
She frowned.
"Jack did all that, what does that have to do with me, especially because he was exiled."
The Emperor's eyes narrowed.
"Remind me if I'm wrong, but I didn't hear Veronica mention a Jack."
Veronica's eyes widened slightly.
Louis froze.
The color drained from his face.
"Y-your honor, I just—"
"Silence!"
Louis immediately shrank back.
The Emperor looked down at the documents again.
Then he spoke.
"The Marcels are proven guilty will be punished accordingly."
Veronica couldn't help smirking.
She turned toward Louis.
"Looks like they caught you slacking, Mister."
Louis gritted his teeth.
But before he could respond, the world around him shifted.
In an instant, he was back in his seat.
The witness box disappeared.
The courtroom fell silent again.
Then four figures appeared in the center.
The Espositos.
Veronica's eyes narrowed.
Something about the Emperor's expression had changed.
The casual authority he'd displayed moments earlier was gone.
Now he looked directly at the family.
And Veronica suddenly had a very bad feeling about what he was about to say.
The four members of the Esposito family stood together in the center of the courtroom.
Mr Esposito looked around cautiously, trying to understand what had just happened. Mrs Esposito remained composed, though the tension in her shoulders betrayed her concern.
Edward looked between his parents and the Emperor.
Priscilla, meanwhile, stared at her sister.
Veronica's expression had hardened.
She already knew this wasn't going to end with a simple warning.
The Emperor rested his hands on the desk.
"This event has made it clear that you lack the power to control your daughter, making her a liability to the Bureau."
His eyes settled on Veronica.
"As such, she'll be in my custody."
Silence.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Veronica's eyes widened.
Mrs Esposito was the first to react.
"That's absurd. She's our daughter."
The Emperor's gaze immediately shifted toward her.
"You dare oppose me!"
His voice echoed through the courtroom.
Before Mrs Esposito could even respond, gravity suddenly slammed down on her.
Her knees struck the floor.
The impact cracked the ground beneath her.
"Mom!"
Priscilla took a step forward.
Mr Esposito moved at the same time.
"Don't you dare—"
Gravity crashed down on him as well.
He was forced to his knees beside his wife.
"Enough!"
Veronica's anger exploded.
She lunged forward.
The moment she moved, the pressure surrounding her intensified.
She was forced into the ground.
Her hands dug into the floor as she struggled to rise.
Her muscles trembled.
The Emperor watched her struggle with an almost indifferent expression.
"You defiance is futile."
Veronica gritted her teeth.
She refused to stay down.
Power surged through her body.
Fur began spreading across her skin.
Her fingers thickened as claws pushed through them.
The transformation began.
The Emperor's eyes narrowed.
The pressure increased again.
Veronica's transformation halted halfway.
Her body trembled violently as she fought against the invisible force holding her down.
"You continue to resist."
His voice remained eerily calm.
"How troublesome."
Veronica's eyes burned with rage.
"You think... I'm going to let you take me?"
The Emperor stared at her.
"You misunderstand your position."
He raised one hand.
"You are not negotiating."
The pressure intensified.
Veronica's claws scraped against the floor.
Priscilla stared helplessly at her sister.
She wanted to move.
She wanted to do something.
Anything.
But her body refused to cooperate.
She could barely breathe under the weight of the Emperor's power.
The Emperor looked at Veronica one final time.
"You'll serve me much better as a corpse."
A small red sphere appeared above the tip of his finger.
It was tiny.
Almost insignificant.
Yet the moment it appeared, Veronica felt something deeply wrong.
The energy radiating from it wasn't simply powerful.
It felt lethal.
Her eyes widened.
The Emperor aimed.
The red sphere shot forward.
It struck Veronica directly in the heart.
For a moment, everything stopped.
Veronica's body went completely still.
Her eyes lost their light.
Then she collapsed.
Her body hit the floor with a heavy thud.
"VERONICA!"
Mrs Esposito screamed.
Priscilla's eyes widened.
Her breathing became rapid.
Something was wrong.
Her chest tightened.
She suddenly felt as though she couldn't breathe.
Her Tautara's third eye began glowing.
Priscilla stared at Veronica's motionless body.
Then the courtroom flickered.
The scene distorted.
The Emperor's voice became distant.
The screams of her family faded.
And suddenly Priscilla understood.
"It was a premonition..."
Her eyes widened.
"I need to save Veronica."
The vision continued.
Mr Esposito had just been taken down.
Veronica lunged forward.
Everything was happening exactly as she'd seen it.
Priscilla's heart pounded.
The red sphere began forming above the Emperor's finger.
This time, however, Priscilla was conscious of what was coming.
Time seemed to slow.
The red sphere remained suspended in the air.
Priscilla stared at it.
Her thoughts raced.
I want to save her.
She looked toward Veronica.
But I'm weak.
Her hands trembled.
There's nothing I can do.
The red sphere grew brighter.
Plus, why would she want me to help her?
Her mind immediately returned to their previous argument.
Last time I tried, she hated me for it.
Her breathing became heavier.
Who am I kidding?
She clenched her fists.
Those are just excuses.
The truth was much simpler.
She was scared.
I'm afraid.
The Emperor's hand remained aimed at Veronica.
Even if I save her, what will stop him from shooting another death beam and killing us both?
Her eyes trembled.
Either way... we'll all die.
Then—
A voice echoed through her memories.
A voice from someone who had spoken to her when she was at her lowest.
Mike.
"Don't ever say that. None of you will die as long as I'm here."
Priscilla's eyes widened.
The fear didn't disappear.
But something else appeared beside it.
Hope.
She looked toward Veronica.
Her sister was about to die.
Again.
And Priscilla refused to let the vision become reality.
Her body moved before her mind could stop it.
She lunged.
"VERONICA!"
The Emperor's red sphere fired.
Priscilla reached her sister.
She stretched out her hand.
The attack meant for Veronica's heart struck Priscilla instead.
There was a flash of red.
Then blood.
Priscilla's hand was sliced clean off.
Her scream tore through the courtroom.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Blood splattered across Veronica's face.
Priscilla stumbled backward.
The pain was unbearable.
Her vision blurred.
Her legs gave out beneath her.
She collapsed.
The world spun.
Then everything went black.
For a moment, the courtroom was completely silent.
Veronica stared at Priscilla.
Blood dripped from her face.
Her eyes slowly moved toward the place where her sister's hand had been.
Something inside her snapped.
Her anger erupted.
But before she could move—
A pressure unlike anything that had filled the courtroom before descended upon everyone.
The entire room became suffocating.
People froze.
The Emperor's eyes widened.
Every instinct in his body screamed at him.
Someone was coming.
Footsteps echoed through the courtroom.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Everyone turned toward the entrance.
Mike walked down the aisle.
His expression was unlike anything they had seen from him before.
There was no smile.
No carefree expression.
No hint of his usual playfulness.
It wasn't even a simple frown.
It was the face of a man who had decided that someone was going to die.
The sound of Mike's footsteps continued to echo through the courtroom.
No one spoke.
No one dared.
Even those who had spent years around the Emperor found themselves frozen by the atmosphere that accompanied the young man.
Mike's eyes were fixed on the Emperor.
There was something terrifying about his expression.
You couldn't call it a frown.
It was much worse than that.
It was the face of a man who had stopped thinking about consequences.
A man who had decided that whoever stood in front of him was going to pay.
The Emperor remained standing at his position, his hand still raised.
A new red sphere of energy was already forming above his fingertip.
His gaze shifted from Mike to Veronica.
Then back to Mike.
For the first time that evening, something resembling uncertainty crossed his face.
Mike continued walking.
The Emperor's eyes narrowed.
He aimed the red sphere toward Veronica.
Mike stopped.
His expression didn't change.
Then something happened.
The Emperor felt a force seize his arm.
"What—?"
The red sphere vanished.
The Emperor's eyes widened.
His hand twisted unnaturally.
Not broken.
Not crushed.
Something far stranger.
The tips of his fingers began to unravel.
His skin separated into thin strands, almost like strings being pulled apart.
"What is this?!"
The Emperor tried to move his arm.
He couldn't.
The strands continued to unravel.
His fingers disappeared one after another.
Then his palm.
Then his wrist.
The Emperor stared in disbelief as his hand was slowly unraveled out of existence.
Mike didn't even stop walking.
His gaze remained locked onto him.
Before Mike could do anything else—
BOOM!
A massive bear paw slammed into the Emperor.
The impact sent him flying.
He crashed through the wall behind him, disappearing beneath a mountain of rubble.
Veronica stood between Mike and the destroyed section of the courtroom, her enormous behemoth-bear form towering over the debris.
She turned toward Priscilla.
Her rage instantly changed into panic.
Priscilla was lying on the ground.
Blood continued to pour from the place where her hand had been.
"Priscilla!"
Veronica rushed toward her.
She dropped beside her sister and carefully lifted her.
"Priscilla! Hey!"
There was no response.
Veronica looked toward Mike.
He was still staring at the rubble where the Emperor had disappeared.
His fists were clenched.
His expression hadn't softened.
Not even slightly.
Mrs Esposito rushed toward him.
She grabbed his hand.
"Mike baby, that's enough."
Mike didn't respond.
"Do you think you can help Priscilla?"
His eyes finally shifted.
He looked down at Mrs Esposito.
Then at Priscilla.
"Yes I can."
"Then help her."
Mike nodded.
He turned toward Priscilla.
Behind them, the rubble suddenly shifted.
The Emperor emerged.
Dust fell from his clothes as he rose.
His expression was furious.
His remaining hand began glowing red.
But before he could even take a step—
BOOM!
An invisible force slammed him back into the wall.
The Emperor's body crashed against it.
Mike stared directly at him.
"Thank whatever god you pray to that Mrs Esposito was here."
The Emperor struggled against the invisible pressure.
"If not for her..."
Mike's eyes narrowed.
"...you'd be dead where you stand."
The Emperor suddenly felt something around his neck.
A grip.
Invisible.
Tight.
His feet slowly left the ground.
He reached for his throat.
His eyes widened.
Mike hadn't even moved.
The grip tightened.
For the first time, the Emperor looked genuinely afraid.
Then Mike's attention shifted toward Veronica.
The grip immediately disappeared.
The Emperor dropped to the ground.
He coughed and grabbed his throat.
Mike walked toward Veronica.
He reached down and picked her up.
Veronica instinctively wrapped her arms around him.
Her massive bear form gradually began returning to normal.
Mike held her securely as they started walking toward the exit.
Veronica looked at his face.
Despite everything that had happened, she noticed the anger in his eyes had begun to fade.
"Are you worried?"
Mike glanced at her.
"Are you worried?"
Veronica blinked.
"Yes—"
She paused.
"Oh wait, no—"
Her face twisted with frustration.
"I mean yes! Ugh, whatever."
Mike chuckled.
The small sound immediately made Veronica feel slightly less tense.
They continued toward the exit.
Then—
"STOP!"
The Emperor's voice echoed through the courtroom.
Everyone turned.
The Emperor stood among the rubble.
His remaining hand trembled with rage.
"Leave that door and you will be excommunicated!"
He pointed toward the Espositos.
"And a bounty will be placed on all your heads!"
Mr Esposito didn't bother answering.
He simply raised his hand.
A fireball formed in his palm.
He threw it.
BOOM!
The fireball exploded around the Emperor.
Smoke and dust filled the area.
"Move!"
The Espositos didn't need to be told twice.
They hurried toward the exit.
Mike carried Veronica as they left.
Mrs Esposito stayed close to Priscilla.
Edward followed behind them.
The courtroom disappeared into a cloud of smoke.
When the dust finally settled, the Emperor stood inside a force field.
His clothes were damaged.
His remaining hand was clenched tightly.
An attendant cautiously approached.
"Sir..."
The Emperor said nothing.
"Should we send the royal guard?"
The Emperor stared toward the doorway through which the Espositos had escaped.
"No."
The attendant hesitated.
"They won't be able to handle him."
She blinked.
"I'm sorry... him?"
The Emperor slowly turned toward her.
"Did I stutter?"
"No, sir."
The attendant lowered her head.
"I just figured you were after Veronica, and as far as I'm concerned, she's not a he."
The Emperor's expression remained cold.
"Who said I was talking about Veronica?"
The attendant paused.
The Emperor looked toward the place where Mike had disappeared.
"I lost interest the moment that boy met my gaze."
"Oh."
The attendant looked down at the list in her hands.
"Does he have a name?"
Before she could search for it, another voice answered.
"His name is Mike."
Louis Marcel stepped forward.
He had watched everything from the safety of his seat.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"And I believe I've got a deal that benefits us both."
The Emperor looked toward him.
"Is that so?"
The attendant lowered her list.
The Emperor turned away.
"The court is dismissed."
Slowly, the remaining occupants began leaving the courtroom.
Louis remained behind for a moment.
His eyes followed the direction in which Mike had disappeared.
A calculating expression appeared on his face.
Whatever had happened tonight, one thing was certain.
Mike had just become far more important than Veronica.
And Louis intended to make use of that.
The Espositos were already halfway back to the palace.
The journey had been unusually quiet.
No one seemed particularly interested in talking after what had happened at the Bureau. Priscilla was being tended to, while Veronica remained close by, her expression still troubled by what had happened to her sister.
Then Edward suddenly frowned.
"Hey guys, is it just me or are we forgetting something?"
Veronica looked at him.
"I don't think so."
Edward scratched his head.
"I could have sworn..."
He glanced around.
"But hey, it's probably nothing."
Meanwhile, several streets away, Lucy and Carla were making their way back toward the palace.
Neither looked particularly concerned about being separated from the others.
In fact, both were more concerned with the food in their hands.
Lucy took another bite of her kebab.
"Man, this dragon meat is something else."
Carla nodded while chewing.
"Tell me about it."
Lucy swallowed and looked around.
"Hey, speaking of dragons, where's the dragon you rode here?"
Carla stopped.
Her expression changed.
"I remember it was right there with the other dragons."
She looked toward the area where the dragon had been left.
Nothing.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Wait..."
Lucy stopped eating.
"Yes?"
"I've noticed I don't sense my mistress nearby."
Lucy slowly lowered her kebab.
"No way."
She looked around.
"They ditched us, right?"
Before Carla could answer, footsteps came from behind them.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Both women turned.
A woman approached them with a confident smile.
"Oh my, what do we have here?"
She looked them over.
"A couple of strays. How interesting."
Lucy immediately frowned.
"Hey! Who are you calling a stray?"
The woman smiled.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Ms Shinoda."
She continued walking toward them.
"And let's just say I'm good friends with Mrs Esposito."
Carla's eyes narrowed.
"Something tells me you aren't."
Shinoda chuckled.
"Well, that doesn't matter."
She snapped her fingers.
Two burly men suddenly appeared behind her.
Lucy and Carla immediately became alert.
Shinoda casually gestured toward the two men.
"Be good boys and take care of these two strays."
Carla stepped forward.
Her expression hardened.
"You know what to do."
Lucy cracked her knuckles.
"Annihilate their future generations even before they have a chance to be born."
Carla glanced at her.
"I guess that works."
---
The Espositos finally reached their mansion.
The moment they entered the estate, however, Mike stopped.
He looked back at the others.
"I'm afraid I must leave now."
Everyone turned toward him.
"If I stay here too long, the energy balance will be set off balance."
Veronica looked confused.
Mike continued.
"You must also know Mike will not retain any memory of this."
Mrs Esposito nodded.
"Thank you for helping my baby."
Mike smiled.
"Well, I believe you should thank your little friend."
A tiny creature suddenly appeared.
Priscilla's Tautara walked onto Mike's shoulder.
A crystal was held between its teeth.
Mrs Esposito looked at it curiously.
Mike gently took the crystal.
"This crystal has proven to be the only means through which I can take over, so if you find yourself in peril, have Mike touch it."
Mrs Esposito smiled.
"Thank you, sweetheart."
She suddenly stepped forward and hugged him.
Mike froze.
"Mrs Esposito?!"
For a moment, he didn't know what to do.
Then he noticed something.
Mr Esposito was staring at him.
And the look in his eyes could only be described as murderous.
Mike slowly turned toward him.
"What the heck is going on here?!"
Nobody answered.
---
The family eventually entered the mansion.
The moment they stepped inside, Edward looked around.
"Hey..."
Everyone stopped.
"Doesn't it seem quiet in here?"
The others looked around.
He was right.
The mansion was strangely silent.
Too silent.
They walked toward the living room.
At first, there appeared to be nobody there.
Then they noticed someone sitting on the couch.
A man dressed in a white cloak casually sat there.
In one hand, he held a cup of wine.
He swirled it slowly before taking a sip.
"Took you guys long enough."
He looked toward the family.
"Is keeping your guests waiting a habit?"
Mr Esposito immediately stepped forward.
"Only if you're an uninvited guest."
The man smiled faintly.
"I see."
Mr Esposito's expression hardened.
"Who are you?"
The man took another sip of wine.
"I don't see the point of introducing myself to criminals."
He lowered the cup.
"So I'll only tell you this."
The room grew tense.
"I'm what you folk call..."
He looked directly at them.
"...an enforcer."