Chapter 90: More Than That
Fwoo..
The room settled into an uneasy silence.
Not the peaceful kind but the kind that lingered after something important had been said.
Mardale Aranos continued listening and speaking in the same calm, measured tone, his expression betraying almost no emotion. It was as though every word he uttered had already been weighed long before it left his mouth.
"... Surviving someone like that..." he said quietly, his gaze drifting toward the large window overlooking Kingsville.
His eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
"...One of the Supreme Authority, no less."
The words struck the room harder than any explosion.
Supreme Authority.
The title echoed through everyone's mind.
Wei-Wan's normally composed expression stiffened as his eyes narrowed behind his glasses.
"...Cassian...?" he muttered.
Fah-jin frowned deeply.
"...He's one of them?"
Even Brandon, who rarely reacted to anything, shifted his stance.
"...That explains... a lot."
Memories flashed through each of their minds.
Cassian's overwhelming strength.
The effortless way he had contained both Monday and Daito's onslaught.
The confidence, the arrogance, and the absolute certainty that no matter who stood before him...he would win.
Suddenly... everything made sense.
But before anyone could process the revelation any further, Champagne leaned closer to Daito, lowering his voice until it was barely above a whisper.
"...Something's off."
Daito didn't answer immediately.
His eyes remained fixed on Mardale.
"...This guy..." Champagne continued quietly.
"...He doesn't match the way you described him."
A pause.
"... And look around."
Daito's eyes shifted almost imperceptibly.
The room.
It was... too empty.
There were no books, no decorations, no weapons displayed proudly on the walls, no trophies, photographs, nor belongings.
Nothing that suggested someone actually lived there.
Only a single long table, wide open space, and shadows stretching across the floor.
Champagne continued.
"...A guy who can teleport anywhere in the world..."
He glanced around once more.
"... lives like this?"
Daito remained silent.
But his mind...had already begun putting the pieces together.
Meanwhile, Mardale continued speaking as though he hadn't noticed their quiet exchange.
"...Most people wouldn't survive even a second against someone like Cassian."
He folded his arms across his chest.
"...So I'll give you credit for that."
The instant those words left his mouth—
SWOOSH!
Daito moved.
BOOOOM!!
Without warning and without hesitation his fist exploded forward with terrifying force.
The punch tore through the air like a cannon shell before slamming directly into Mardale's face.
KRAAAAAK!!
The impact detonated throughout the room. The reinforced floor shattered beneath their feet. Spiderweb fractures raced across the walls.
The windows rattled violently.
BWOOOSHH!!
A crushing shockwave burst outward in every direction.
Mardale's body launched backwards like a missile.
CRAAAASH!!
He blasted through the wall behind him, then another before smashing into the concrete ceiling beyond.
Chunks of reinforced stone collapsed as dust erupted throughout the hallway.
BOOOOM!!
Silence.
Then everything erupted.
"CAPTAIN!!"
"WEAPONS UP!"
"INTRUDER!"
"MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!"
Soldiers flooded into the corridor from every direction. Rifles snapped upward. Safety catches clicked off. Dozens of barrels immediately pointed toward Daito.
Captain Katas stepped forward, fury flashing across his face.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Wei-Wan stared in disbelief.
"...Daito?!"
Fah-jin instinctively raised her rifle, uncertainty flickering across her face.
"What are you doing?!"
Avenor tensed.
Her hand slowly reached for her sword.
"...This better make sense..."
Champagne simply blinked.
Then, let out a slow whistle.
"... You actually did it..."
Dust drifted through the destroyed hallway. Concrete crumbled from the broken ceiling.
Visibility remained poor, yet Daito never once looked at the soldiers. He never acknowledged the weapons aimed at his head. His eyes remained fixed on the cloud of dust.
Then he finally spoke calmly.
"...That punch..."
A brief pause.
"...Is the same one I used..."
His voice remained steady.
"...To kill a Frevage General back in Grimvale."
Silence consumed the room as every pair of eyes shifted toward the smoke.
If what Daito had just said was true... Then Mardale should have been dead.
The dust shifted.
A single pair of footsteps echoed calmly through the ruined corridor.
Tap...
Tap...
Tap...
A silhouette emerged from the smoke.
Perfectly upright and perfectly relaxed.
Mardale Aranos.
Completely unharmed.
He casually rolled one shoulder before cracking his neck from side to side.
CRACK!
"... Yeah..."
He flexed his arm slightly as though loosening a stiff muscle.
"...That packed a punch."
Nobody moved nor spoke.
Even the soldiers seemed frozen.
Mardale looked directly at Daito.
"... For a second there..."
A faint smile appeared.
"...I actually lost sight of you."
Another pause.
"... That's rare."
Wei-Wan whispered beneath his breath.
"...No way..."
Fah-jin tightened her grip around her weapon.
"...He took that head-on..."
Champagne slowly exhaled.
"... Yeah..."
His grin widened.
"...This guy's the real deal."
Captain Katas lowered his rifle just slightly, unable to hide his disbelief.
"...What..."
He stared at Mardale.
"...Are you...?"
Mardale ignored the question entirely. His full attention remained on Daito.
No longer indifferent, and no longer merely curious but amazed.
"...So..."
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"...That was your way of testing me?"
Daito answered immediately.
"... You didn't dodge."
Mardale shrugged.
"...Didn't need to."
Then his smile widened ever so slightly.
"... But now..."
His eyes sharpened.
"... You've made me curious."
The atmosphere changed.
It wasn't loud nor was it explosive.
Yet everyone in the room felt it since the pressure became heavier. As though the shadows themselves had suddenly grown weight.
"...Was that your strongest punch?"
Daito never looked away.
"...No."
Then for the first time Mardale laughed.
A genuine laugh.
"... Good."
He took one slow step forward.
"...Because if you're asking me to join your cause..."
Another step.
"... You're going to need a lot more than that."
The shadows around the room stretched unnaturally. Sliding toward him as though pulled by an invisible current.
"...A lot more."
Behind Daito, the team exchanged quiet glances.
They finally understood.
This meeting had changed. This wasn't an interview anymore. It wasn't even a negotiation.
It had become a trial.
And Mardale Aranos...had finally decided to take them seriously.
To be continued...