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Without the slightest intention of easing the tension, Bokue Keikain's casual comment instantly intensified the already hostile atmosphere, bringing it to its breaking point.

Or rather, it was clear from the beginning that reconciliation was never possible.

But at that very moment, Kyoichi Shiba—who'd just finished boldly threatening them—suddenly took a cautious half-step backward.

Bokue raised an eyebrow.

"?"

What was this supposed to mean? One second, Shiba was declaring that he would report back to the village and have Mio officially labeled as an A-class elimination target—and in the very next moment, he moved to position himself protectively between Bokue's group and the exit.

"What? Something else to add?"

"Well..."

Kyoichi hesitated for a brief moment, before his sly fox-smile reappeared.

"Haha~ I never said we should start fighting right here. Besides, this location isn't exactly ideal. Also, I already informed Takashi Hayase; he should be arriving in Tokyo around noon. Surely, when old friends reunite, you'll have plenty to talk about."

"Oh? Takashi's coming too?" Bokue acknowledged blandly, but clearly remained unmoved. "Frankly, there's nothing really to talk about between us, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to chat with me either."

"Well, you never know~ We'll just have to wait and see," Kyoichi remarked lightly, his narrowed foxlike eyes twitching slightly as his smirk widened even more.

"Alright then. I've said all that needed saying. The rest we can discuss once Takashi Hayase arrives. Yuki Nonaka, Kurumi Nonaka—it's about time we leave."

"...!"

Hearing her and her sister's names called directly, Yuki's body involuntarily stiffened.

At this point, she fully understood Shiba's intentions.

Indeed, Kyoichi Shiba didn't intend to avoid fighting Bokue. However, he clearly had no desire to do so "here and now."

Shiba had already noticed Yuki's hesitation.

If he truly started a fight here, their side would essentially consist only of himself and her sister, Kurumi. On the other hand, Bokue's group counted five fighters—including Sheila.

What Kyoichi sought was a one-on-one duel against Bokue. But there was absolutely no way Kurumi alone could restrain four others simultaneously.

Thus, waiting until Takashi Hayase arrived was undoubtedly the smarter choice. Due to the special circumstances of this mission, the Hero Village had allowed Takashi to bring along the "Byakko."

With its formidable power, plus Takashi's own strength, they'd easily be able to keep at least three of Bokue's female companions occupied.

And as for Yuki herself—no matter how much she wavered, she was still bound to the village's orders. Any hint of hesitation or defiance would be viewed as outright betrayal.

So, the moment Takashi Hayase stepped foot in Tokyo, the situation would tilt to a 3-vs-4 scenario, leaving Kyoichi perfectly set up for his desired duel.

But that meant directly opposing Bokue—a scenario Yuki desperately wished to avoid.

"Nee-san..."

Seeing the hesitation in her older sister's eyes, Kurumi whispered softly in reminder.

Even she could now easily grasp that Shiba was clearly the village-appointed supervisor for this mission.

Displaying open indecision in front of the supervisor was equivalent to treachery.

"I—I..."

Yuki gritted her teeth tightly, fists clenched so hard beneath her sleeves that her knuckles whitened.

This was the decisive moment—either leave with Kyoichi to meet up with Takashi, which meant becoming Bokue's enemy, or follow her heart and remain here, thus becoming an enemy of the Hero Village.

Neither choice was acceptable to her.

However...

"Did I say you could leave?"

Bokue's voice suddenly broke the silence.

Kyoichi Shiba, who had just begun stepping away, immediately pulled back his foot.

Their eyes met again, and this time Kyoichi's expression slightly darkened, the smile fading.

"What exactly do you mean? Are you actually thinking about starting a fight right here and now, Bokue?"

"A fight?" Bokue shook his head slowly, almost pityingly.

"I don't even know where you get the nerve to talk about fighting me. Like Yuki said—you were sealed away by the village, weren't you? Ever wonder why they sealed you but never dared to seal me? Do you think it's because they didn't want to, or because they couldn't manage it? You certainly don't think it's because I had a sterling reputation back home, right?"

"...What are you implying?"

Hearing this, Kyoichi's fox-like eyes finally opened slightly, revealing the sharp, dangerous glint hidden behind them.

"You're biting the hand that feeds you," Bokue sighed lightly.

"Since you've openly declared hostility towards me, there's nothing else left to discuss. Actually, come to think of it, since we met, I haven't properly greeted you yet, so—"

"Hello there, fellow villager. And goodbye, Mr. 'Former Strongest.'"

"...!!"

Without sensing even the slightest killing intent, Kyoichi's entire body instinctively tensed in alarm.

In the next instant, he launched himself backward, muscles straining as he moved from preparation to full leap in under a tenth of a second.

Yet it was already far too late.

Without a hint of warning, a golden wave of power rippled outward from Bokue, radiating in every direction—just like it had recently when he faced down the Lion King Organization's shikigami at the apartment on Itogami Island.

Once the golden flash faded away, the restaurant appeared unchanged.

Except—someone was clearly missing.

Kyoichi Shiba had vanished.

If viewed through slow-motion footage thousands of times slower than normal, Kyoichi would still be airborne, barely even reaching the apex of his desperate leap. But his body had simply disintegrated—literally scattered into dust like a sand sculpture blown away by the wind, leaving no trace whatsoever.

"W-what just happened...?"

Yuki Nonaka's eyes widened in shock, mouth slightly open.

She'd completely missed what had just transpired. By the time she regained her senses, Shiba had disappeared completely, as if someone had just erased part of a drawing from a sketch pad.

"Honestly... I have no idea what that was even about."

Bokue delivered a dry, matter-of-fact conclusion.

After saying this, he calmly returned to his seat and casually beckoned toward the two Hero sisters, who remained frozen nearby.

"Alright, any questions can wait until later. The breakfast buffet is about to close, so you two better quickly go grab whatever food you want. Sit down and eat first—there'll be plenty of time afterward to discuss whatever it is you're curious about."

"Ah... R-right."

Exchanging a quick glance with her younger sister, Yuki finally snapped out of her daze. She took Kurumi's hand, turned decisively, and headed straight towards the buffet counter.

Meanwhile, Mio Naruse—who had mostly finished eating—quietly tugged Bokue's sleeve.

"You still haven't answered my question from earlier," Mio Naruse whispered.

"Just what exactly is your relationship with this Hero Village place anyway? Why does it feel like those guys—especially that one just now—seem to have such a weird attitude towards you?"

"Oh, that?" Bokue chuckled wryly.

"Well, it's a bit of a long story, to be honest. How about we save it for later? I haven't even finished my breakfast yet."

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