"Why are you here?" A man's dark silhouette appeared without a knock on the door.
"Why can't I be here, President of Shinkai?" the man replied from behind.
"'Cause this isn't your territory, President of Jukai, and that is why you aren't safe here," Number 1 said, standing up.
"And what makes you think I will come here to fight without Zero?" Number 4 said, moving forward.
"Oh! Didn't think about it. That means you are telling me you aren't here to fight," No. 1 said, sitting again.
"That is why we call you the donkey of Shisei Kyōgikai (Council of Four Saints)," No. 4 said, sitting.
"Is that so? Then why is this genius here for help?" No. 1 said with immense pride.
"Don't assume too much. I am not here for any help; I am just here to give you business and save two of your most important arcanists from the 1st year," No. 4 said, cutting his cigar.
"You think I am a fool? There are only two entries in this year, and those monsters might lose but never can die together," No. 1 said, leaning back.
"Once someone told me today's predator was yesterday's prey, but as of my habit of proving everyone wrong, I found someone who is born a predator," No. 4 said, his eyes shining in the dark.
"Fascinating, now get out," No. 1 said, drinking.
Tap!
No. 4 tossed a card on the table.
"I know you will come to me, just call this number," No. 4 said, leaving.
"Before leaving, tell me who this arcanist boy is and how he is dangerous to my arcanists?" No. 1 asked.
"If you just add the magical word, I will tell you, I promise," No. 4 said with a smirk.
"Get out, f**ker," No. 1 said, spitting his drink on the floor.
"Your loss, not mine," No. 4 said, leaving.
The moment No. 4 left, No. 1 pulled out his phone, threw it on the table, laid back, and started watching the ceiling.
"..." No. 1 noticed something.
"Aegis, when did you come here?" No. 1 said, his focus still on the ceiling.
"The moment I heard the President of Jukai is coming here," Aegis said, bowing.
"Knowing that Zero is your perfect counter still?" No. 1 said, laughing.
"If you would have ordered, there would be no counter to any of my techniques," Aegis said, bowing.
"Nah! I don't doubt your loyalty, but I fear nowadays you are surrounded by people who will make a new weakness mid-fight and exploit it," No. 1 said, pulling out a two-faced coin from his pocket.
"Why aren't we eliminating them? Why keep the venomous plant that will cause more damage growing?" Aegis asked, still bowing.
"Because we simply can't. People born with such genius are not easy to kill," No. 1 said, tossing the coin.
"You are saying with this surety, meaning this year yields someone strong," Aegis said, assessing his master.
"They are not strong, they are legendary, born to surpass every other generation, but..." No. 1 stopped.
"On your command, sir," Aegis said instantly.
"One of them is the biggest threat of today, Aegis. I want you to go to the restaurant Jin and Toma are going to," No. 1 said, tossing the coin again and again.
"And what exactly should I do, sir?" Aegis asked.
"If, and only if, Jin and Toma fail to defeat Ushimoto Arashi, kill him."
TIK-KLIK!!
In the exit door of the building, someone kneeled down upon seeing No. 4 remove his listening device.
"Wow! Zero, I never thought something like this could become in 2010," No. 4 said, fascinated.
"It can't, but this servant can do anything for you. By the way, I hope you didn't get any trouble above in my absence," Zero said while kneeling.
"None, I have absolutely no trouble at all, but how, from this earpiece, I could listen to something happening 11 floors above me," No. 4 said, ordering Zero to stand up.
"I will tell you everything, but first I need to tell you something," Zero said, following No. 4.
"Say fast," No. 4 said.
"I tried stopping him on the phone, but that impatient bi*ch ran over to Berlin," Zero said in a tone with disgust.
"Relax, Zero, he is just a child, and he is a bit excited about fights," No. 4 said, giggling.
"By the way, since he is accompanied by Kageyama Riku..." Zero's expression changed.
"Heh!... Heh! Hahahaha," No. 4 started laughing hysterically.
"Wait! Wait! Let me count: Jin, Toma, Aegis, my ultimate predator Akio, and my perfectionist Riku, all going for one motive to kill a boy who is alone there," No. 4 said.
"And you know the name of that boy?" No. 4 asked Zero.
"Sir, in the arcanist world, it is uncommon that someone doesn't know his name. Am I correct...
The Genius of the Dark,
Ushimoto Arashi," Zero said.
"But I fear you are very wrong at one place," Zero said, his face down.
"If you say I am wrong at some place, that could be a genuine mistake. What is it?" No. 4 asked.
"He is not alone; he is in direct supervision of the SON OF THE GRAVITY," Zero said, his tone almost warning.
"And who is he?" No. 4 asked with genuine curiosity.
"Sir? You don't know who Vance Kaze is?" Zero asked in shock.
"Oh! Vance, but as far as I remember, his title was the Dragon Hunter, not Son of the Gravity," No. 4 asked, sitting in the car.
"The Dragon Hunter is the title he was born with; his lineage possesses that title. But the title Son of the Gravity is the title he earned," Zero said, sitting in the driver's seat.
"If it's that dangerous, I would say you might also go if needed," No. 4 said, laying back, looking at the top of the car.
"Even if I go, it won't make any difference against Vance, sir, but there is more," Zero said, accelerating the car.
"What is it?" No. 4 said, pulling out a metal ball from his pocket.
"Aside from Vance, there is a prototypical genius roaming in Berlin," Zero said, driving the car even faster.
"Such heavy words; if you classify someone as a prototypical genius, it means he can defeat all of them, but not if they come together," No. 4 said, tossing the metal ball.
"You are right, sir. He is just on the level of Arashi, I would say in raw power even stronger than him." Zero took a pause.
"Of all the extreme prodigy list," Zero lifted a list containing names and information of Arcanists.
"He surpasses all of them to make his spot at number 2 on the genius list along with Arashi." Zero lifted another list.
"You are making me very excited now, just tell me who he is. Now!" No. 4 said, tossing the ball again.
"The Crowned Anchor, OUR S-Rank defect, ZORIAN STERLING," Zero said with a sweat.
No. 4's expression changed.
Upon hearing the words of Zero, he became utterly shocked.
Upon realising what he heard, an expression of realising something came into his mind.
And when finally he processed everything, he started laughing.
"Oh, how did you get hold of this many things in this long?" No. 4 said in excitement.
"Your friend beside you told me to tell you now," Zero said, sweating.
"You made my day, Zero. Don't spoil it by silly jokes." No. 4, without looking, kept tossing the metal ball.
"Why would I joke with you, sir? Although research on the topic was mine, the plan of sending Akio to where Arashi is, was all told to me by him," Zero said in worry, sensing something's wrong.
Moved by Zero's confidence, No. 4 stopped tossing the ball and turned to his right.
And...
Thud!
The metal ball dropped from his hand.
His expression changed seeing the person right beside him; his excitement died just with a single sight of that person.
Realising something is wrong, Zero hit the brakes mid-highway at the speed of 240 mph, but...
The car didn't stop. Instead, the brakes made the car even faster.
KLIK!
Zero tried to pull out his gun and pulled the trigger, but the gun was empty.
He tried to pull out a knife, but in the place of the knife, there was just a piece of wood.
"Hello friend," Sōren said, waving his hand.
"Zero, don't activate your power here. We will be in grave danger; there are people around," No. 4 commanded.
"Listen to your owner, doggy," Sōren mocked Zero.
"If I unchained that doggy, he would choke the life out of you," No. 4 said with disgust.
"When I started at 5, there were 5 to choke the life out of me; today the count is in millions, yet there is no one near me, which means giving a vague threat is useless on me," Sōren said with a smirk.
"I never work for anyone, and I never bluff about my subordinates," No. 4 said. He clenched his fist so tight that his knuckles turned white.
"And you just did both of them just now, so are you angry? Will you punish me? Hahaha," Sōren laughed.
"Leave, I am leaving. My work with you is done. We will meet again if I will have another work," Sōren giggled, teasing No. 4.
FWOOSH!
Sōren vanished, leaving the car alone with Zero and No. 4.
"Ah! What a pain those two are, big yappers," Sōren said in irritation.
"Anyway, the show of the slaughter of Arashi will be starting soon; I can't miss that," Sōren said in utter excitement.
"Sōren Shikyō, was it?" A voice came from behind Sōren.
As the voice drifted into the ears of Sōren, he instantly recognised it.
"Heh! So if you are already here, should we start, ARASHI?" Sōren said, his voice almost like a giggle.