As Esther came out of her private estate, she saw a familiar person in corporate clothing.
It was Shinto.
Not in his usual assassin attire.
But dressed like a businessman.
Esther was clad in a black gown and wore lavender-colored bracelets to complement her hair.
Shinto grinned as he leaned on his car, "The Captain of Vespera actually came. Miracles do happen."
Esther rolled her eyes and Shinto opened the front door for Esther, and she glared at him before going in.
Shinto closed the door, got inside, and drove them away from the luxurious area to lonelier parts of town.
After an hour of driving, they arrived at another estate, and the guard of the gate went to the car and looked at Shinto as he brought down the windows.
The sharp figures of Shinto in the moonlight made the guard shake because he knew who Shinto was.
The guard straightened up and cleared his throat, "You may pass."
Shinto smiled, "Don't waste my time next time," he said and drove in.
The area had three-story mansions facing opposite each other, with neon street lights shining brightly.
As Shinto parked in front of a particular mansion that was bigger than the others, Esther got out, and a faint and cold air touched her, making her shudder.
It reminded her of her clash with the user of the Great Enigma Abyss—Weber—and his control over the paranormal.
Shinto put his hand on her shoulder, "What's wrong with you? You're a figure of strength, so better bone up your face." He said, chuckling, and went up the stairs that led to the front door.
Esther hissed and walked behind him.
The guard in front looked at a screen that showed their faces and looked at them, "You may go in."
As the guard and Esther blinked, Shinto was gone.
Esther went in and saw Shinto had used his mana art to move to the center of the room at incredible speed.
Inside, seats were arranged in dozens, all facing a stage.
The MC, Donald, a man in his forties, ashened as Shinto seemed to appear, and the mic was gone from his hand and now in Shinto's.
Shinto faced the crowd of some of the most influential people in Vespera.
"I want to make this clear: everything you've won at this auction," he said, pointing at expensive jewelry and armor, then his face became gloomy.
"Is trash." He said, and people sprang to their feet and started hurling curses, and arguments broke out.
"But," Shinto began, turning everyone's attention to him, "there's going to be something on sale that's better than anything you've discovered here."
Esther folded her arms as she watched Shinto, "He really knows how to make an entrance."
Shinto brought out four gold pebbles and kept one after the other till they were shaped like a square with only corners but no lines.
Shinto snapped his fingers with his mana infused, and a glass prism appeared.
Everyone leaned closer to observe the prism as they felt an unbelievable amount of energy come out of it.
"I am the current sage of the speed mana art. But before you is the one before me." Shinto said, patting the prism.
Sages are the only ones that could rival Captains in power other than users of Great Enigmas.
This was possible because of their special understanding and harnessing of their mana art, making them specialized warriors, unlike Captains who used multiple mana arts.
"All that's here are his bones," his eyes shone bright green, "but even the ashes will make you like a god if you consume them."
Donald was darting his eyes between Shinto, the prism, and the crowd, and Shinto snapped his fingers at Donald, making him shake.
"Do your job. First price at $500,000,000." Shinto said.
Donald gasped, "We can't start with that—" Shinto released a pulse of energy that made the building shake.
"I am the first sage in centuries," he said, walking down the podium, "I am the leader of Flashpoint. I am the youngest sage in history," he said and shot a glare at Donald, "so my breath alone demands respect."
He said and sat at the back next to Esther.
Esther squinted at him.
"So, why'd you bring me here?"
Shinto leaned back, crossed his arms.
"To teach you how business is done." He said without looking at her.
"600 million!" One person yelled.
"650 million!" Another yelled.
An old woman cleared her throat and said, "900 million."
An old man glared at her and gritted his teeth, "950 million!" He barked.
The woman chuckled, "1.5 billion." With that, the room went silent.
Donald raised his hand, "1.5 billion? Anyone? No?"
He pointed at the old lady.
"The corpse of a lost sage sold for 1.5 billion to Lady Parsons!" Donald said at the top of his voice.
A roar of praise and claps erupted.
"I wonder what an old lady would want with such a thing..." Esther remarked.
Then she looked at Shinto.
"What do you mean teach me business?"
Shinto whispered to his phone, "Show the world who owns it."
Esther felt a bad feeling come over her as he whispered those words.
"Honestly, you are the power of Vespera," Shinto said, and people in all black jumpsuits and plain masks burst through the roof like lightning bolts.
"So, save your people." Shinto said, and the people began screaming as the masked men held each other's hands and spun around at high speed, turning into a large tornado of destruction.
They sucked in everything in their path, and people caught in it were tossed halfway across the room or out the windows.
Esther gasped, and her power surged as she gritted her teeth at the thought of Shinto.
Esther closed the gap between herself and the attackers with one step, and thanks to her power as a captain, she wasn't at all phased by the attackers' powers and she sent mana to her fists and blasted the tornado, scattering the men.
As she looked at the bones of the lost sage, they were gone.
Shinto was fast, but her eyes were sure it wasn't any of the attackers that took away the auctioned item.
And it wasn't caught in the catastrophe of the tornado.
Esther knew there was only one person that could move so fast and carry something that delicate with precision.
It was Shinto, and he used her as a distraction to get hundreds of millions and still steal what he sold.
The crowd gasped as they had no idea that Captain Esther was present, and she slammed the ground, causing a chasm.
Because there was no telling what Shinto would do next.
And with his charisma, political, and mana power, there was no stopping him.
---
Weber was pacing around in the room in a motel.
He was running out of cash because while Ariel and Josh were still present, Weber and Josh couldn't get a stable job as it was always one trouble to the next.
He looked at Charlotte as she casually read the newspaper, as if nothing strange had happened with her earlier.
"Well, Weber. I think this is where we split paths." Charlotte said and stopped walking and leaned her back on the wall while putting her hands in her pockets.
Weber looked at her, "Why do you say that?"
"Cause... I've told you all that happened with me and Josh. And Vespera's Captain and Celestia's Captain will be after you—" Weber cut her off.
"And you as well. If either of them find out you have the power of a Great Enigma, it won't be good." Weber shot back.
"Besides, I can't just let you go around because Foresight is within you."
Charlotte sighed and looked outside.
"What do we do now?" She asked, and Weber held her.
"I think it's best we go where we're safe, which should be Fantasia." Weber remarked.
"I know it has some places captured by Celestia, but it's the closest place and has fewer problems compared to other places."
Charlotte brought out her phone and started looking up different countries, and she tightened her grip on her device and grumbled.
"Why are any of these wars even happening? Vespera was the only safe place, but it was so fake as it was Foresight that stopped them."
Weber lowered his head, "I've missed so much from the semester back in school, and I don't even know if I'll ever return," he said, smacking his head.
Weber went through the news and still saw no signs of Vespera's government hunting him or Charlotte down.
He sat on the floor and sighed.
"I can't afford supplies to go to Fantasia, but my durability as the user of the Abyss is fine. I'm concerned about you."
Charlotte looked at her hand, and it began to glow a shimmering gold.
Weber began sensing large amounts of mana coming to Charlotte, then his irises turned white as he began sensing fear of death from several people.
Weber whipped his head around and he looked at Charlotte.
"I don't know what you're doing, but stop!" Weber yelled, and Charlotte gritted her teeth.
"I-I can't stop absorbing mana nearby!" Charlotte said, and Weber had only a few seconds till passing nearby mana users died.
A memory flashed through Weber's mind, and the people's fear of death distracted him from the usual headache that comes with a returned memory.
It was people that saw his eyes become terrified till they fainted.
Weber held Charlotte's shoulders and had her stare into his white irises, and as their eyes locked, his eyes caused a false sense of horror to come over Charlotte and she screamed then fainted.
As she no longer absorbed mana, the fear of death began dissipating till it was gone, and Weber's eyes turned back to normal, and he sighed.
He had heard of people about to drain mana but not able to absorb so much so fast.
And it made him wonder if he'd survive if he used mana and Foresight were to attack him using Charlotte.