Kaito woke up in excellent physical condition; all the wounds from the previous battle had completely healed.
"It seems my healing ability hasn't been affected by this world, unlike the Void, which now consumes a lot of energy. My physical wounds have healed, but I still feel some dizziness. Anyway, let's go see those 'leaders'," Kaito said, looking at the door of his room, number 404.
Kaito went down in the elevator, contemplating the floor display.
"The building seems larger than it looks. The negative floors outnumber the positive ones, which indicates a vast underground facility."
As soon as the elevator doors opened, he saw a swarm of employees moving in every direction with frantic energy. The moment he stepped out, a sudden silence fell in the nearby corridor; eyes followed him with a mix of curiosity and caution, and he caught faint whispers fluttering around him: "Is this the human monster who crushed the cockroach?"
Kaito paid them no mind; instead, he wore a cold smile that only heightened their tension, continuing his walk as if he owned the place
the main building of the General Control Bureau was buzzing with activity. Kaito was invited to attend the periodic meeting of the heads, and when he entered the hall, he found no calm; instead, he found a silent conflict on the verge of exploding. He immediately felt the heavy atmosphere and the tension filling the place.
Under the cold white lights, and with the room's walls covered in large screens displaying live city maps and monster activity points, Lilith Domina sat at the head of the table. To her right sat Dr. Elias Falcor (Head of Division One), a thin young man in his late twenties with white hair, wearing thin, gold-rimmed circular glasses. Beside him was a calm woman in her thirties (Dr. Saya Loren), with golden-blonde hair and beautiful features; she didn't seem to age at all. Kaito thought to himself, "It seems she's his deputy, exactly as Emma told me."
To Lilith's left was Mrs. Vera Keen(Head of Division Two). Kaito was surprised by her beauty; she didn't look like the fighting type—elegant and radiant in her luxury suit, her blonde hair tied back tightly. She was glancing at Lilith with sharp looks hiding a jealousy that luxury makeup couldn't conceal. Beside her was her deputy (Mr. Kailos Regan), a man in his forties, smiling a soft smile, but his eyes hid ambition and pain!
Opposite them sat General Marcus Gray (Head of Division Three), tapping the table with his thick fingers in boredom. His short gray hair, strong build, and prominent old scars showed his strength and brutality toward monsters. Even his deputy (Captain Lucas Han), with his long black hair, appeared like a child before him despite his own strength and ferocity. Kaito stood at the door for a moment; he wasn't surprised by what he saw, as Emma had provided him with all the information about the heads and their deputies.
Lilith spoke coldly: "Today we have a new guest. Kaito Soren. He will join as a special element under the care of Division Four, under my personal supervision."
"Division Four again?" *Vera Keen* interrupted in a mocking tone, adjusting a strand of her blonde hair. "Lilith, dear, don't you think your hoarding of all the 'exceptions' is starting to look suspicious? Division Two is the one that manages contracts and loyalty; we need more hunters, and this young man seems like a wasted investment under your hand."
Lilith did not turn to her, but continued looking straight ahead. This disregard caused the veins on Vera's forehead to bulge slightly. Kaito, leaning against the wall by the door, let out a short, sarcastic laugh that drew everyone's attention.
"Investment?" Kaito said, looking Vera up and down. "You elegant lady, I am not a piece of land for you to display at an auction. It seems your tight suit is starting to cut off oxygen to your brain, making you confuse humans with merchandise."
A shocking silence fell. No one had ever dared to address the Head of Division Two in such a manner.
"You..!" Vera began in anger, but General Gray laughed with a booming voice that broke the tension. "I like this kid! Exploding in everyone's face like a bomb. Forget the paper contracts, Vera; strength is the only language monsters understand."
The General turned to Dr. Elias mockingly: "Isn't that right, Doctor? Or do you still believe that dissecting monster corpses and spending hours behind a microscope will protect the walls of this city? Science is just a luxury we don't possess amidst the blood."
Dr. Elias adjusted his golden glasses and looked at the General with a sickening, cold scientific gaze: "General Gray, the difference between us and monsters is the mind. The blind strength you boast of is merely a primitive way to delay the inevitable end. If it weren't for my research into the 'Origin of Fear,' your soldiers would be mere snacks in the streets by now."
The deputy of Division Three intervened, gripping his pistol and saying, "How dare you belittle our brothers and the Head, you should..." but the Head raised his hand, signaling him to be silent.
Dr. Saya Loren added calmly, ignoring all the preceding tension: "We in Division One are trying to find a cure for the 'monsterization' disease, and to understand the origin of fear and the reason it affects people and turns them into monsters. Your ability to separate the soul from the body might help us separate fear from the patient's consciousness and return them to their humanity. You would certainly be a valuable addition to our work; you might be the cure."
Kaito took steps toward the table, put his hands in his pockets, and looked at Elias, then Gray, then Saya; he seemed convinced by her words.
"My God.. am I in a meeting to save humanity or in a nursery for children?" Kaito mocked, tilting his head. "One wants to turn me into a paper doll using spells and contracts I don't understand, another wants to put me in a test tube, and a third wants me to be a stupid hammer for smashing walls."
Then he looked directly at Lilith and said: "Lilith, are these the leaders people trust? A scientist trying to 'understand' fear while the fear of failure consumes him, and a general who believes muscles can eliminate fear—which is something innate in humans." Then he looked at Vera, ignoring her: "This place isn't a Control Bureau.. it's a circus, and I wonder who the main clown is here."
General Gray's face turned red, while Dr. Elias's eyes narrowed. As for Vera Keen, she looked at Kaito with a strange curiosity. Lilith raised her hand, silencing everyone immediately. She said in an unwavering, calm voice: "Kaito Soren is an exception because he possesses what you all lack: the ability to erase the source, not just deal with the results. He will remain under my supervision in Division Four."
Vera looked at Lilith and said with hidden malice: "You will regret this arrogance, Lilith. Rules were made to be applied to everyone, even you. You know well that monsters grow stronger with time; that selfishness of yours will be the cause of this organization's fall. The Great President will not be pleased with this."
Kaito smiled a cold, icy smile: "I will join Division Four.. temporarily. Not because I care about your rules or your ridiculous contracts, but because I want to see how long this 'circus' will last before it collapses over your heads. And consider this a warning: anyone who tries to touch me or study me without my permission.. will know the meaning of facing my wrath, even if it is this 'Great President'."
After the meeting ended, as Kaito was about to leave, Lilith approached him and whispered: "I enjoyed your little show. You made them all hate you in less than five minutes. A new record."
Kaito replied without looking at her: "Hate is a sign of the respect they lack. Don't be too happy, Lilith; you're not off the list yet."
Lilith gave a wide smile
and said: "We'll see."
Questions for the Readers😎:
1) Kaito noticed that the eyes of "Kailos" (Vera's deputy) hide both pain and ambition. Do you think this deputy might become a secret ally for Kaito against the department heads?🤐
2) Everyone trembles at the mention of "The Great President," yet there was no physical trace of him at the meeting. Who do you think this person is? And why does he prefer to stay in the shadows while the organization is consumed by conflict? Is he watching them from a place they cannot see?😈
3) Dr. Saya sees Kaito as the "cure." Do you think Kaito will actually care about saving the monsters and returning them to their humanity, or does he see them as entities not worth existing?😷
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