"Mr. Kairos, we'll be heading out first."
The armed squad said their goodbyes before turning back toward the battlefield.
"Alright."
Kairos watched them leave.
Then he casually crushed the fish bones from his finished meal with a burst of invisible Qi.
He had only exchanged a few words with the rebel squad.
From them, he learned that the Kingdom of Blue was currently in the middle of a civil war.
The king was corrupt and greedy.
The people had risen in rebellion.
The armed squad he had just spoken to was one of the rebel army's elite units.
"So that means… the mission CP9 mentioned was probably to help the king."
Kairos rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
The Kingdom of Blue was one of the nations allied with the World Government.
If a CP organization had been dispatched here, then naturally they would be assisting the ruling monarch.
"In that case… beating those kids up actually ended up helping the rebels?"
Kairos couldn't help laughing at the absurdity.
Still, he didn't dwell on it.
A war-torn country like the Blue Kingdom wasn't very interesting.
The scenery along the coastline was far more enjoyable.
He had eaten his fish.
It was time to leave.
As for the war?
Kairos wasn't some saint.
Too many places in this world were drowning in conflict.
He neither had the time nor the desire to interfere in all of them.
…
Holy Land — Mary Geoise
This was the seat of the highest authority in the world.
The residence of the Celestial Dragons.
Here, even seabirds flying across the sky would be shot down.
Because in this world, no living creature was permitted to fly above the Celestial Dragons.
At the center of a cluster of extravagant buildings stood a dimly lit office.
It was late at night.
Through the window, the moonlight outside shone beautifully.
Yet the special glass design ensured that no one outside could see what was happening within.
The structure itself spoke to the secrecy of this place.
Inside the room, near the window, stood a wooden office desk and a solemn-looking chair.
A man in a white suit leaned back comfortably in that chair.
Before him stood seven figures.
They were—
Lucci and the others.
The very CP9 agents defeated in the Blue Kingdom.
Although ten days had passed, bandages still wrapped their bodies.
They looked pale and worn.
For the past ten days, they had been unconscious.
After finally waking today, they were immediately summoned to this place.
"Explain what happened."
The man leaned back further in his chair, his hands folded across his chest as he spoke in a low voice.
A silver mask covered his face.
Intricate patterns were carved across it.
The mask concealed his appearance—and any hint of his expression.
"We… were defeated by a man who suddenly arrived from the sea."
Lucci stepped forward.
Even he seemed somewhat restrained in front of the masked man.
"Who was he?"
The masked man's tone remained unchanged.
"He came on a small boat…"
Lucci slowly regained his composure and began describing Kairos' appearance in detail.
When he finished, the silver-masked man clapped once.
A subordinate wearing a white suit entered the room.
"Boss."
He bowed respectfully.
"You heard everything. Go investigate the man who defeated Lucci."
The masked man spoke calmly.
"Yes."
The subordinate nodded and left immediately.
Lucci's description had been extremely detailed.
Finding the man wouldn't take long.
After issuing the order, the masked man placed his hands back on the armrests of the chair and addressed the CP9 group again.
"Tell me your thoughts."
After speaking, he closed his eyes as if dozing.
Kaku hesitated for a moment before answering.
"There's no such person among the rebels. He might be a powerful fighter hired by them."
The masked man made no comment.
The remaining CP9 members exchanged glances.
Each of them could see the lingering fear in the others' eyes.
Speculation about Kairos?
When they faced him—
all they felt was absolute domination.
What was there to speculate about?
Lucci opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
He said nothing.
The atmosphere in the room gradually froze.
Every passing second felt like torture for the CP9 members.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
At last—
the door opened again.
The white-suited subordinate returned.
"Boss. I found him."
"Speak."
The silver-masked man finally opened his eyes.
His voice carried a single cold word.
"The strongest swordsman in East Blue… Kairos."
"Oh?"
The masked man's tone rose slightly.
"There is additional information," the subordinate continued.
"This man is known as an obsessive challenger. He fights anyone he comes across—old people, children, it makes no difference."
"There is no pattern to his behavior."
"He is, by all accounts… a complete madman."
"Hmm…"
The masked man tapped his fingers lightly against the armrest of his chair.
A dull rhythm echoed in the room.
Finally, he spoke again.
"Anyone who interferes with CP operations cannot be allowed to roam freely."
"Spread the order."
"Place an immediate bounty on Kairos."
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