* * *
“Yes, this is Director Hoaphilen Legius speaking.”
She answered the phone quietly.
For a while, only her voice and the person on the other end filled the room.
The news she received was far from welcome—especially in the midst of her verbal sparring with Haimar.
“Are you talking about the approval for reinforcements in Zone 8? Has the situation become difficult to handle?”
The firm stance she had taken just moments ago, insisting they didn’t need Haimar’s assistance, now felt utterly futile.
It was rare for a mission that had already been reviewed to require additional support.
The only exceptions were when the enemy turned out to be stronger than expected or when something completely unforeseen occurred.
And this call indicated that both of those exceptions had come into play.
“…It’s snowing across the entirety of Zone 8?”
This was beyond bad.
It was already past midsummer, cooling off a little, but nowhere near cold enough for snow.
For snow to fall at this time of year, something supernatural had to be at play—something impossible under normal circumstances.
It was no surprise, then, that she was being asked for reinforcements to suppress the situation and uncover the truth.
“…So, the Espers available for deployment right now are… I see. Understood.”
With a grim expression, she ended the call and bit her lip, looking across the table at the man sitting opposite her.
Forget about the humiliation—entrusting an Esper with a mission without a guide was sheer insanity.
But that was only true in general cases.
Haimar Eilec was the one exception to that rule.
Because his abilities surpassed all logic.
That was why Main Central couldn’t simply discard him.
No, rather than saying they let him be, it was more accurate to say they couldn’t do anything about him.
His existence was both a pillar that upheld Main Central and the key to its success.
If there was any way to control his rampages, then there was no reason to refuse his help.
Even knowing full well that Haimar was akin to a boiling-over pot or a ticking time bomb, people still wanted to ride on the coattails of his overwhelming power.
It was no different from using cheat codes in a role-playing game just to get an easy ending.
Even as she worried about his uncontrollable nature, Hoaphilen still found herself tempted to choose him over other alternatives.
“You look troubled.”
Haimar smiled, feigning innocence.
Hoaphilen had no choice but to admit her defeat.
She had expected to lose in a war of words, but to have even the situation itself refuse to be on her side?
With no response left, she bit her lip tightly.
The cold, predatory glint in Haimar’s eyes curved ever so slightly, marking the end of their conversation.
“Please, don’t hold back.”
∗ ∗ ∗
Vice Director of Eternita Central, Enten Nebail, was at a complete loss as to how to handle the crisis that had been dumped onto him by his superior.
He was the one who had called Hoaphilen, yes, but this was not the outcome he had anticipated.
When he had first picked up her call, he had thought she was joking—because what she had said was too unbelievable.
Yet now that he was standing in the middle of this absurdity, Enten felt as though his dark circles were sinking down to his chin.
All he had done was request reinforcements.
So why the hell was Haimar Eilec here?
And why, of all things, was it snowing in autumn?
Even if he asked, he already knew the answer.
He just didn’t want to accept it.
Rubbing his tired eyes, Enten turned to the man who had been dragged here alongside him—Liran Siu—and took in the chaotic scene unfolding in the red-light district of Zone 8.
“The Director actually approved this disaster? Are you sure she wasn’t being mind-controlled?”
“Watch your mouth. The Director’s in her right mind. She just got caught up in that man’s mess, that’s all.”
Armed with pistols, about twenty police officers were stationed here, along with an Esper and guide pair from the Sixth Division.
They were currently in a standoff against a suspected B-rank Esper, positioned in front of a dilapidated old building with peeling gray paint.
Flanking their target was a group of armed men in black, each carrying firearms just like the police.
This building, located in the very heart of Zone 8, was an abandoned mansion that had been scheduled for redevelopment.
Originally, they were supposed to sweep through, take down the remnants hiding inside, and wrap things up—but the target Esper was putting up more resistance than expected, and their combat level was higher than initially estimated.
Not that the Sixth Division’s Esper and guide were weak, but unfortunately, the guide had fainted in shock from the enemy’s attack.
That meant their Esper was now powerless.
The only saving grace was that the Esper hadn’t completely lost control in retaliation.
But with this mysterious snowfall now complicating matters, it was officially a complete disaster.
“…If we all die here because that monster wipes us out, does this count as a workplace accident?”
“The Director set a condition, you know. Even if he’s the enemy, there won’t be casualties.”
“If he actually looked like the type to follow rules, I would’ve gladly asked him for help.”
Liran scoffed, tucking stray strands of hair behind his ear.
The snow, which had started off light, was now accumulating.
The dropping temperature made their breaths visible, little wisps of vapor dispersing into the air.
Judging by the target’s reaction, they had no idea what was causing the snow either.
But regardless, with fire raining from the sky and deafening gunshots ringing out, supernatural chaos was erupting all around them.
What made it worse was that their so-called reinforcement was just standing there, looking pristine and unbothered.
BANG—!
A fireball crashed into the safety barrier that had been set up to protect civilians, landing dangerously close to Enten and Liran.
Or rather, it would have if Haimar hadn’t diverted its trajectory without even lifting a finger.
Watching the fireball curve away effortlessly, Enten couldn’t help but be astounded.
How could a man with three restraint devices attached to him still manipulate energy like that?
Meanwhile, the twenty or so police officers had taken the brunt of the attack, their numbers dwindling as more and more sustained injuries.
Ordinary officers only stood a chance against Espers if they either had superior firepower or another Esper backing them up.
But with their assigned Esper incapacitated, they were completely outmatched.
Outside, the snowstorm raged.
Inside the building, their enemy was firing flames at them from cover like a coward.
It was infuriating, but Haimar—utterly unaffected by the cold—merely dusted off his hands and spoke in his usual languid tone.
“Is incompetence your specialty here?”
Liran and Enten fell silent.
There was plenty they could say, but arguing with that man felt utterly pointless.
More than that, Haimar was simply too powerful—no matter what they said, it wouldn’t change the reality of the situation.
“Hey! Aren’t you supposed to be our reinforcements?! Our Esper is down because of their guide—how the hell are we supposed to fight the enemy Esper hiding in that building?!”
Just as Enten was about to speak, a frustrated police officer burst out, unable to hold back any longer.
But as soon as he made eye contact with Haimar, his breath hitched.
Even in this bleak, soot-stained battlefield, Haimar’s striking features stood out brilliantly.
“…Are you the reinforcements?”
Seizing the brief lull as the disgruntled voice died down slightly, Liran swiftly cut in.
“Yes, it’s him. So, have your men step back.”
“Tch. I came here thinking it would be an easy job, and now it’s snowing in this season, making everything feel like utter crap!”
If he knew who the man in front of him was, he wouldn’t be saying such things.
Unfortunately, Haimar’s inhumanly striking appearance drew more attention than the fact that he was the strongest Esper.
It wasn’t just a matter of constantly suppressing his abilities that spread out in every direction—Haimar was also highly sensitive to his surroundings.
He disliked excessive exposure, so despite being [Integra] of the Main Central, far fewer people recognized his face compared to his reputation.
Even the Espers and Guides from Division 6, who were now stabilizing in one corner, hadn’t realized who he was at first.
Only after Enton explained did they quiet down, their eyes gleaming as they cautiously held themselves back.
“Look, are you even here to help? The morale on the other side is through the roof right now!”
Regardless of how true that statement was, at present, large and small fireballs were raining down everywhere.
The minions, who occasionally fired their guns for suppression, were constantly searching for an opportunity to flee.
Moreover, the enemy had the upper hand, making the wounded on this side feel all the more resentful.
“My men have been pulled back, so let’s see what you can do—”
BOOM—!!!
A massive explosion, incomparable to anything before, mercilessly cut off the officer’s words.
“W-What…?”
Liran Siu instinctively swallowed hard at the sight unfolding before him.
One side of the dilapidated abandoned building had been perfectly ‘cut out’ in a circular shape.
It wasn’t that something had crashed into it and broken it apart, nor had it simply exploded—it had been cleanly severed, as if a compass had drawn a perfect circle and sliced it away.
There was no need to question who had done it.
It was, without a doubt, Haimar.
* * *
