Chapter 194

[Third Person's PoV] 

As Akane led Cid to the meeting room, Cid broke the silence. "Cid…"

"What?" Akane asked, confused.

"My name now. After my reincarnation, I'm called Cid, not Minoru. Minoru is the name of my past life—the one who died."

"I see…" Akane muttered before stopping to give him a suspicious look. "Wait… how old are you really?"

"You're asking me that now? After everything we... you know," Cid said with a suggestive smirk.

"I mean, you said you were reincarnated, right? So with how you look now, I assume you were born as a baby and grew into the man you are today. I'm just curious—how old are you now? You should've been 20, the same age as I am," Akane explained.

Cid looked at her with amusement. "I'm 15."

Akane's expression dropped. "What?"

She grabbed Cid's blazer with a horrified look. "How old are you, exactly?"

"Fifteen," Cid repeated with a smirk.

Akane slowly released him, crouching down and clutching her head in horror. "I… I'm going to jail…"

Zeta, watching the exchange, looked at Cid in confusion. "Why is she reacting like this?"

Cid leaned in. "Eighteen is the age of consent in this world. To her, it's no different than sleeping with a minor."

"Ah, I see. Is being 18 here the same as being 15 in our world?" Zeta asked, watching Akane have a mental breakdown.

"Exactly."

"I'll need to flee the country…" Akane mumbled.

"Okay, calm down." Cid said, his expression deadpan. "Where I'm from, you're considered an adult at 15. So, you're fine!" he added, giving her a thumbs-up.

"You're still a minor," Akane said, gritting her teeth.

"I think you're forgetting who my soul belongs to. Technically, I'm 32," Cid said, counting both his current and past lives.

Akane froze, then stood up, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "I suppose you have a point… but you should've been honest about that," she said, glaring at him.

"So, does that mean further action is off the table?" Cid teased.

Blushing, Akane sped ahead. "We're going to be late. Let's go."

Cid smirked, looking at Zeta. "That wasn't a 'no.'"

…

Akane entered the meeting room to find everyone seated and waiting for her.

"You're late, Akane," the man at the head of the table said with a sigh. "This is important. Please take it more seriously."

"I'm sorry, Captain. It won't happen again," Akane apologized, quickly taking her seat while Cid and Zeta leaned against the wall behind her.

"And they are...?" the captain asked, eyeing Cid and Zeta.

Saejima, who was also present, glared at Cid with clear apprehension.

"They're Minoru and Zeta," Akane said. "They saved me before. They're incredibly strong, and I can vouch for them. Since they've been outside and know how to deal with monsters, I thought their experience might be useful."

The captain nodded. "Very well. Let's begin. My name is Haitani, and I'll be leading this meeting today. The squad we sent to investigate the monsters hasn't returned. This likely means the worst."

His expression turned grim as he continued. "The monsters are growing more brutal and aggressive by the day. We must remain vigilant and prepare for attacks from all sides. It's fair to say we're surrounded."

The tension in the room was palpable, morale sinking to an all-time low. Haitani turned to Cid. "Do you have anything to add? Anything that could help us?"

"Every monster follows a hierarchy. In video game terms, they all have a 'boss.' Your best chance at surviving an attack is to take out the boss," Cid explained, before glancing at Akane. "From what I've heard, the monsters are well-coordinated, which makes them harder to handle. Take out the boss, and they'll fall into disarray, making them easier to defeat."

"That's easier said than done," Haitani replied, his expression darkening. "We don't know where the boss monster is, and we're already struggling with the minions. The boss must be on a completely different level."

"First of all, you're terrible at this," Cid remarked, eyes closed.

"Hm?" Haitani frowned in confusion.

"You're supposed to be their leader, right? Then act like one. Don't show weakness in front of your subordinates. Even when things seem hopeless, you need to display confidence. Why do you think the atmosphere here is so tense? Why does everyone look so demoralized? It's because you're projecting defeat. Everyone here can sense that you don't believe we'll survive."

The room fell silent, stunned by Cid's blunt assessment. Akane lowered her head, smiling slightly, while Zeta looked at Cid with admiration, her eyes filled with pride for her master.

Haitani glanced around the room, noticing the subtle shifts in everyone's expressions. He straightened up, his face hardening with resolve, and the room's atmosphere followed suit, turning tense and focused.

"You're right," he said, his voice steady. "Now, more than ever, we can't afford to show weakness. We need to stay strong for what's coming."

Someone from the group spoke up, a hint of doubt in their voice. "But you weren't wrong earlier. What Minoru (?)—said is easier said than done. We can't even take down the minions without suffering casualties. How are we supposed to handle the boss?"

Captain Haitani rubbed his chin, deep in thought, but before he could respond, Cid interrupted.

"You can leave the boss to me," Cid said calmly. "I'll take care of it. All you need to do is focus on the minions."

The same man from earlier scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "Sorry, but we don't know you. We don't know what you're capable of, or what your motives are. Just because Akane vouches for you doesn't mean we're going to trust you with something as crucial as taking down the boss."

Cid leaned his head back against the wall, letting out a small sigh. Without a word, he unleashed a fraction of his mana. The oppressive force slammed everyone into the table, their eyes widening in shock and terror as they struggled to move. Those who tried to counter the pressure with their own mana found it useless.

As they strained to turn their heads toward him, all they could see was a shadowy figure, bathed in a dark, swirling aura, with glowing eyes that pierced through the room. "What other alternatives do you have?" Cid asked, his voice chilling and emotionless.

The room fell silent. Everyone gulped, realizing the extent of his power. Once Cid was satisfied they understood, he retracted his mana, the pressure lifting from the room. The sudden release left everyone gasping for air, their bodies trembling, and sweat pouring down their faces. Hands clutched at their chests as their hearts raced uncontrollably.

A girl sitting near the table turned to Akane, her voice shaking. "Akane... What kind of monster have you brought into our base?"

Even Akane, who had known Cid, looked at him with a hint of fear. "I... I don't know..."

Captain Haitani, however, broke into a wide, almost manic grin, his eyes gleaming despite the sweat running down his face. He looked at Cid, who was casually leaning back against the wall again, completely unfazed.

"The kind of monster that's going to help us survive."