The next day, the soothing warmth of the morning sun coaxed the flowers into full bloom. The grass, heavy with the remnants of the morning dew, slowly dried beneath the gentle golden sunlight.
Inside the Raibon Mansion, Saya sat quietly at the table with a warm cup of coffee resting in her hand. Xenoki sat directly across from her, his attention fully absorbed in a newspaper.
"Xenoki, did you tighten the protection around Ko's house?" Saya asked, her voice carrying its signature cold, commanding tone.
"Yes. I stationed ten men around his house," Xenoki replied smoothly without looking up from the newspaper. "Two of them are high-ranking operatives from the Elite Shadow Unit."
A heavy silence settled between them, stretching on for several minutes.
Finally, Xenoki neatly folded his newspaper and stood up from his chair.
"Wait," Saya called, stopping him in his tracks.
"Hmm?" Xenoki paused and turned back toward her.
"What is the progress on collecting more samples of the protective layer?" Saya asked, her expression turning completely serious.
"Today, I am heading there personally to assess the situation," Xenoki answered firmly before turning to leave the kitchen.
He stopped at the entrance and glanced back over his shoulder.
"I'm happy that you found your smile again, Milady," Xenoki said softly.
Saya silently sipped her coffee, offering no response.
*What made you smile today can make you cry another day,* she thought, a gloomy expression shadowing her face.
As the day progressed, the scorching heat intensified until the flowers seemed to regret ever opening their petals.
Meanwhile, deep within a subterranean hideout buried hundreds of feet beneath the ground—where teleportation was the only way in or out—a group of twenty people had gathered. Among them were ten extraordinary assassins, each possessing a unique and dangerous ability.
The footage of Ko's leaking void energy played on a massive central monitor.
A purple-haired man wearing a bizarre, swimsuit-like outfit stood before the group. As the Chief Instructor, he addressed the gathered assassins in a calm yet authoritative voice.
"Based on this footage and the readings our research team gathered last night, this boy is most likely a black-hole-level threat. And the higher-ups in the Shadow Government are trying to use him for their own gain."
"Tch. What black hole? We can kill him right now if we want. He's just a high school student," an arrogant assassin sneered from the back of the group.
"Hmm…" The Chief Instructor paused. "You think that's an easy task?" He narrowed his eyes at the challenger, his expression turning deadly serious. "That man, Xenoki, is personally protecting this boy."
The room plunged into absolute, suffocating silence as fear instantly sealed everyone's mouths.
"Hahaha!" The Chief Instructor laughed, clearly amused by the anxiety spreading across their faces. "But don't worry. We aren't taking any immediate action. We'll begin by investigating the origin of the boy's energy. His family and friends will be our starting point," he reassured the assassins with absolute confidence.
"They won't expect us to target the boy's family. You can move freely as long as you stay at least one kilometer away from their house," he instructed.
"What if that bastard Xenoki uses his light-image clones to protect everyone?" one of the assassins asked sharply.
"Exactly. Those light-image clones are simply annoying. He's already left one or two of them on every planet ruled by the Shadow Government," another assassin added.
"Don't worry. We've already liberated six planets from the Shadow Government," the Chief Instructor announced confidently. "And our leader, Jeni Meloko, is personally descending to Earth to deal with Xenoki and Saya."
Hearing this, the assassins' faces lit up with hope, and excited whispers spread throughout the room.
The Chief Instructor watched their renewed enthusiasm for a few moments before speaking again.
"And one more thing—you are not allowed to leave any traces behind during this investigation," he commanded, his voice loud and authoritative. "Kill only if absolutely necessary. We have to prevent more planets from being drained by the Shadow Government."
"But, Chief Instructor," one of the assassins asked with a confused expression, "if we're targeting their main base, why don't we ask for help from other rebel units around the world?"
"HQ assigned us to investigate this boy," the Chief Instructor snapped, his previously polite tone instantly turning sharp. "And you want me to beg other instructors for help?"
The room fell silent once again, though tense murmurs still rippled through the ranks.
*Just you wait, Xenoki,* the instructor thought, his eyes narrowing. *I'll kill you myself.*
The instructor muttered to himself as his desire for revenge completely consumed his thoughts. He watched the assassins in silence for a few moments longer before finally speaking.
"Alright, you can all leave now. Wait for further instructions, and don't do anything on your own," the Chief Instructor ordered.
The assassins began teleporting out one by one. Within a few minutes, the vast underground chamber stood completely empty.
Left alone, the Chief Instructor pulled out a bizarre receiver and entered the code **"RE 870 F."** Instantly, a small cosmic void tore open behind the device. He leaned in, pressing his ear directly against the rift.
From the other side, a soft, seductive female voice purred,
"Is that you, Eloki?"
"Y-Ye-Yes, Ma'am!" Eloki stammered, instantly flustered the moment he heard her voice.
"Mmm… I've missed you so much," she cooed.
*Slurp.*
The mysterious woman slowly ran her tongue across her lips on the other end of the connection. Eloki froze the instant the sound reached his ears.
"So, how is the plan coming along?" she asked in a soft, gentle voice.
"You may have seen the variable that appeared in our plan—a sixteen-year-old human boy," Eloki replied respectfully. "But I don't think we should change our plans because of him."
"Mmm… I've seen him in the recorded footage you sent. He's quite the cute one, isn't he? I can't wait to meet him when I arrive on Earth," she murmured, letting out a seductive sigh.
"Ma'am, he may seem like a cute little toy for you to play with, but I have to warn you—he is a black-hole-level threat," Eloki said, genuine concern filling his voice.
"Heh… then we're a perfect match. I, too, have quite a deep hole in me. You've seen it too, haven't you?" she teased with a soft, playful laugh.
"M-Ma'am, this isn't the time for jokes. This is a serious matter," Eloki stammered, his face turning bright red.
"Haha, you're no fun. Hmph."
Her playful tone vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, commanding voice.
"Do what you think is best. And if you fail to liberate Earth, that's fine. I, Jeni Meloko, will handle everything myself."
"There won't be any need for you to take action, Ma'am. We will resolve everything before you arrive on Earth," Eloki said with absolute confidence.
"Before I cut off this void connection, remember to cast aside your personal grudges. Don't do anything foolish," Jeni warned sharply.
"Yes, Ma'am. I will act according to the principles of the Rebels," Eloki answered earnestly.
"Then, Eloki boy… don't you wanna be punished by me?" Jeni asked in a highly suggestive tone before abruptly severing the personal void connection.
Eloki remained frozen in place, utterly flustered by his leader's parting words.
To be continued…