Chapter 160: EX 160. Old Man
Back in the chamber, the air felt still, almost heavy, after the raw display of power.
Eleanor’s body sat slumped in the chair, but the gaze that met Governor Akira’s was not her own. Bal’ark, great demon lord, breaker of armies, scourge of the Lower Realms... now stared up at him with the quiet, beaten submission of a whipped animal.
It hadn’t even taken two minutes. Two minutes of the Governor’s unrestrained will and precise, unyielding pressure, and the demon’s pride had cracked like brittle glass. Information poured from its lips without hesitation, names, locations, structures of infiltration. From sleeper agents hidden in high-ranking positions to the coordinates of secret strongholds buried under mountains, every secret the Federation had hunted for years was laid bare.
It was almost absurd. An entire division of intelligence operatives could have spent decades digging for this information, and Akira had undone the entire network in less time than it took to boil water. In that moment, it was plain, if he wished, the Governor could wipe every demon worshipper from the Federation in a single campaign, without resistance.
But Akira wasn’t done.
His voice was calm, and even.
"One last question," he said. "What are you demons’ true goal... and where did you come from?"
Through Eleanor’s hollow stare, Bal’ark’s eyes flickered, just a spark of life. But then, it faltered as it saw the stared Akira gave it, but the moment its mouth opened, the sound that came out wasn’t words.
"RRRHHHHHAAAAAEEEAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
The scream was raw, guttural, and filled with something primal. Dark energy surged from deep within Eleanor’s body, twisting violently, a storm of power threatening to tear through the walls.
Akira’s eyes narrowed, his voice dropping.
"This... isn’t their power."
He stepped forward, his palm pressing against Eleanor’s head. Threads of sealing mana flared to life around his fingers, locking against the unstable force trying to break free. But as the pressure mounted, his brow furrowed.
"...Above SSS rank?"
For the first time, the Governor’s stance tightened. The energy wasn’t just dangerous, it was catastrophic. And it was already breaking his containment.
His jaw set.
"Not today."
The world around them seemed to ripple. In the blink of an eye, the chaos froze, then began to pull backward, Bal’ark’s scream reversing into silence, the swell of dark power receding like a tide. The light in the room dimmed, then brightened again as time rewound to just before Akira had spoken the fatal question.
The second the moment arrived again, he didn’t repeat it. Instead, his hand snapped forward, a precise strike knocking Eleanor unconscious before the force could be triggered.
And the room settled into an uneasy stillness.
Akira stepped back, exhaling slowly.
"That," he murmured, almost to himself, "could have been dangerous."
****
Leon sat in silence, his eyes fixed on the untouched plates before him. The steam that once curled from the food had long faded, the air over the dining table now cool and heavy. What had started as a lighthearted meal with Elizabeth and Nikko had unraveled the moment Nikko was summoned away. And the reason, was a bitter taste he couldn’t swallow.
Elizabeth sat close, her shoulder brushing his, and slowly rubbed a hand along his back. "What’s the problem?" she asked softly. Her voice carried no judgment, only quiet understanding. She knew Leon carried his people on his shoulders, and she could see how the thought of his old squadmate might weigh on him now.
Leon didn’t answer right away. Then, without looking at her, his arm slipped around her waist almost absently. "It’s just..." he exhaled, "I feel like I’m still not strong enough. I’ve had this feeling for a while, but lately... it’s getting worse."
Elizabeth blinked, taken aback. That wasn’t the answer she had expected at all. She’d thought his mood had to do with guilt, responsibility towards Eleanor. But this...
Her mind turned over the thought. ’Not strong enough?’ The speed at which he’d been growing was already bordering on impossible. The fact that he’d altered the Black Dragon Art, a feat that should have been beyond even seasoned masters, was proof enough of his power. What could possibly make him feel lacking?
Then a thought clicked in her mind, sharp and sudden. ’That’s right... the way he handled the Black Dragon Art. Could he actually carry dragon blood? It would explain the monstrous pace of his growth.’ As Elizabeth was about to ask him and before the words could leave her lips, the doorbell rang.
Leon’s head turned toward the sound, lifting Elizabeth gently from his lap, and striding to the door.
On the other side stood a soldier in standard base uniform. He held a small, rectangular slate in his hand, marked with three silver bands. His posture was rigid, and his tone formal.
"Colonel Leon," the soldier said, "your presence is requested at the Command Center. Supreme Heir Nikko says it is urgent."
Leon’s gaze flicked to the slate, then to the soldier’s eyes. He gave a small nod. "I’ll be there soon."
The soldier saluted and departed, his boots fading down the hall.
When Leon returned, Elizabeth was waiting. "Why do you think they want you there? Do they think you can help with Eleanor?"
"I don’t know," Leon said, already heading toward the bedroom. "But we’ll find out when we get there."
She watched him disappear inside, the quiet sound of boots and cloth shifting as he changed into uniform. Her mind was still circling back to the question she hadn’t asked. ’I’ll just ask him later,’ she told herself, rising to change as well.
****
Leon didn’t waste time once the summons came. The message had been for him alone, but Elizabeth had fallen into step beside him without asking. If it was important enough to drag him to the command center, she wasn’t about to be left behind.
The steel door loomed ahead, its polished surface catching the corridor lights. But Leon stopped, startled.
"Nikko? I thought you wanted to see me," he said, his voice carrying a note of confusion.
Standing outside, Nikko Yakomoto shook her head slowly. Beside her, Raven Stone’s expression was unreadable as she spoke. "It’s the Governor who wants to see you."
Leon froze mid-step. A brief silence stretched before he let out a quiet scoff. "What does that old man want now?"
The words dropped into the air like stones in still water. The atmosphere outside the door went utterly silent. Even Elizabeth’s steps faltered.
Leon didn’t seem to notice, or care. He brushed past Nikko and Raven, pushing the door open and stepping inside.
Rebecca was the first to break the hush. She turned toward the others, her tone sharp with disbelief. "Did he just call the Governor an old man?"
Nikko, Raven, and Elizabeth said nothing. They simply stood there, stunned. Whatever they thought, there was nothing they could do now.