That same night, Asami and her squad returned from their investigation mission aboard a Koruzan aircraft bound for Japan. When they arrived at the Koruzan Headquarters, a man escorted them through the long, dimly lit corridors to the main office, the meeting hall of the top Adams captains.
At the center of the hall stood a long rectangular table. Four chairs lined each side evenly, with one chair at each end, ten in total, all occupied by the most powerful captains from the Fifth Core and their lieutenants from the Fourth Core. Their presence alone filled the room with a tremendous, heavy aura.
Asami stepped in quietly and bowed deeply.
"Good day, my honorable captains," she said.
One of the captains spoke in a commanding tone. "Have you brought the report concerning the Six Eyes?"
Still bowing, Asami answered, "Yes, sir." Then she raised her head and began her report.
"In the island close to North Korea, the site of the battle between Draken and the Six Eyes, now identified as Yamato Ishida, the entire land has been completely destroyed. It may soon vanish from the map entirely."
The captains exchanged glances as she continued, her tone sharp and precise.
"During my investigation, I was able to gather detailed information about the battle, thanks to Shin, the only survivor from the Koruzan Third Core Super Tag Force. According to him, the Six Eyes did not face all five Super Tag Force members and Draken from the Adams First Core alone."
She paused, then went on, "The Six Eyes first went to North Korea and abducted two Super Tag Force members, Shingo Kageyoshi and Fate Hisugaya, both from the Third Core. Shin, who fought Shingo Kageyoshi himself, stated that their battle was intense, as though Shingo was fighting with his full will, not as someone under the Six Eyes' control."
Murmurs erupted around the table. The captains' voices overlapped in disbelief until one slammed a hand on the table, and silence fell again.
Asami took a breath. Her eyes sharpened.
"More importantly, all of them fought using high levels of Senkai energy, especially the Six Eyes. Shin was completely traumatized by what he witnessed. He believes this power poses a direct threat… even to us."
The room went quiet. The captains sat still, their expressions unreadable. After a few moments, the meeting was adjourned.
Outside, the nine Adams captains departed one by one in their luxury cars, their lieutenants at the wheel. The parking area emptied, except for one remaining captain.
As he entered his car, he paused and called out, "Asami."
She turned quickly. "Sir?"
He studied her with a faint smile. "This Six Eyes kid… he was your classmate back at the Gifted Academy, wasn't he?"
Asami's eyes widened, she hadn't expected anyone to notice.
He continued, "You talk about him like you want to capture him, not kill him. It's fine, you know. Especially… if it's someone you care about."
Asami's face flushed instantly. "I-I…" she stammered, but before she could reply, the captain's car door shut, and the vehicle rolled away into the night.
She stood alone in the courtyard, the moonlight reflecting off her eyes. Her heart raced as she looked up at the sky, still blushing.
"Yamato Ishida…" she whispered softly to herself. "Just what are you up to?"
That same night, word spread like wildfire across the continents. Every major headquarters, The Light, The League, and even The Elders received reports about Yamato Ishida and the two Koruzan defectors, Shingo and Fate.
In one of The Light's hidden bases, a man leaned back in his chair, reading the news from his phone. A small smirk crept across his face.
"Ishida, huh? No wonder that name sounds familiar," he muttered, eyes glinting with interest.
Meanwhile, aboard the Koruzan ship, the atmosphere was the complete opposite — loud, bright, and alive. A massive feast was underway. The crew and freed slaves were celebrating their long-awaited victory, laughter and music filling the air. The ship's lanterns lit up the night sea like stars scattered across dark waters.
Shingo moved through the crowd, looking around impatiently.
"Where the hell is that sorry excuse for a captain?" he muttered, scanning every corner of the deck.
Kate noticed him pacing and stepped forward, her arms crossed.
"What's the problem, Shingo?" she asked, sensing something was off.
"I don't know where Yamato ran off to at a time like this," Shingo sighed, resting his hands on the ship's rail. "He's supposed to give the speech… and introduce you as our new recruit."
Kate chuckled softly.
"When Yamato told me I was going to join the crew, you looked worried," she teased. "You even said he was trying to get me killed."
Shingo's eyes widened, his voice cracking as he tried to defend himself.
"W–wait, it's not like that!"
Kate laughed again, turning to face the glimmering waves. A faint blush crept up her cheeks as the sea breeze brushed through her hair.
"Well," she said quietly, "if I'm ever about to get myself killed… I'll count on you to save me. Right?"
For a moment, Shingo froze. His eyes widened, his face flushed red. Then he stood upright, placing his hand firmly on his chest.
"You can count on me," he said seriously.
They stood there in silence for a while, just the sound of the wind and the ocean between them, before a sudden crash broke the moment.
A slave burst through the door, panting and visibly frustrated.
"Sir Shingo! We need your help! Sir Fate has gone drunk... and he's been recruiting people to join your crew!"
Shingo's eye twitched.
"That meat-brain…" he groaned, storming off with Kate right behind him.
Inside the hall, they found Fate standing on a table, bottle in hand, laughing and pointing around.
"You! And you! Yeah, you too! You're all joining my crew!" he shouted, barely standing straight.
Shingo sighed, sneaking up behind him.
"You've had enough," he muttered, and with one quick chop to the neck, Fate dropped like a log.
As he lifted the unconscious Fate onto his shoulder, he looked at Kate.
"Well, guess I'll take him to bed. Sleep well, okay?"
Kate smiled softly. "You too."
The laughter of the party continued deep into the night, echoing across the waves. But even with all the noise, Yamato was nowhere to be found on the ship that night.
The next morning, Kate woke up to a series of loud noises outside the cabin. Still half-asleep, she rubbed her eyes and stepped out only to freeze at the sight before her.
Beyond the mist-covered horizon, a glowing city came into view, tall buildings glimmering in the morning sun, and the scent of saltwater carried by the sea breeze. The ship was heading straight toward Fukuoka, Japan.
Her eyes widened. "A city...?" she whispered, before realizing where they were. "Wait.... Fukuoka?! We're in Japan!"
Without wasting a second, she turned and ran back inside.
"Shingo! Fate! Wake up!"
Moments later, both stumbled out onto the deck, looking dull and sleepy. But as the mist cleared, their eyes widened in awe at the sight of the vibrant city ahead.
Fate grinned, his excitement bursting through the morning haze.
"Nice to see another country apart from North Korea," he said boldly.
"Yeah, it's nice," Shingo and Kate replied at the same time, then looked at each other, realizing what just happened. Their faces instantly flushed red as they looked away awkwardly.
Fate blinked, scratching his head. "Wait, what was that just now?"
Before anyone could answer, a calm, deep voice cut through the chatter.
"That's my country… home sweet home."
Everyone froze.
The crew turned instantly, hearts pounding only to see Yamato Ishida standing among them, his presence silent but overwhelming.
Fate's mouth fell open. "W–what the hell?! When did he get here?!"
Shingo's eyes narrowed, sweat forming on his brow.
What is he… a monster? he thought, unable to look away. I didn't even sense him until he spoke… that was way beyond my detection abilities.
Yamato stood quietly, his sharp eyes scanning the horizon. The air around him felt heavier than before; darker, colder, like something inside him had changed. Everyone could feel it. The crew stiffened, unsure if the man before them was still the same captain.
Everyone except Kate.
She took a slow step forward, then another, until she stood right in front of him. Her gaze was steady, fearless. The wind swept through her hair as she looked up at him, her voice calm yet firm.
"I respect that you're working hard to become stronger," she said. "But be strong not for my dad… or the slaves that died… or Draken… or anyone who's gone because of you."
Her hand reached out, gripping his firmly.
"Be strong for the ones you still have with you now."
For a moment, time seemed to stop. The wind danced through their hair, and the world fell silent around them. Shingo stood there, stunned, unable to believe what he was seeing.
Yamato's eyes softened. After a long silence, he bowed his head slightly.
"…I understand," he said quietly. "I'll keep that in mind too."
Kate smiled gently and let go of his hand. The morning sun broke fully through the clouds, casting light across the ship, and for the first time since the war, it felt like peace had finally returned.
After Kate let go of Yamato's hands, he tightened his expression and addressed everyone.
"Guys, listen… we can't go through the Fukuoka borders. If we try, the Koruzan will catch us instantly."
Kate's eyes widened. "Really? Umm… so what are we going to do now?"
Shingo suddenly raised his hand. "Hey, guys? I've got a plan for that."
The ship approached the entrance of Fukuoka's land where the Tag Force soldiers were stationed. But as the Tag Force looked into the ship, they froze, no one was inside.
"Huh…? What the.... ?" one of the soldiers muttered in confusion.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Yamato's crew and all the slaves suddenly appeared in a large open field.
Everyone gasped.
Yamato looked around in shock. "We're inside Fukuoka already…? Gah—how?"
Shingo grinned smugly. "Heh. I summoned my phone from the tech box and searched for any location in Fukuoka. It brought up this place. Then I used one of my abilities, Demon's Travel, to bring all of us here."
Fate's mouth dropped open. "Ohh… you don't say. That's crazy…"
One of the elder slaves stepped forward, his voice shaky.
"Yamato… thank you for rescuing us. Truly. But if we're here with no money, then… tsk… surviving won't be any different from dying."
Yamato nodded calmly and smiled. "Don't worry, gramps. I've got that covered."
He summoned his tech box again, pulled out a massive pile of cash, and handed bundles to all fifty adult slaves.
"That's one million dollars each," he said. "Use it to build a real life, okay?"
Kate, Shingo, and Fate stared in disbelief.
Shingo scratched his head. "Umm… what about us? We're with you, remember? How are we going to eat after you just gave away fifty million dollars in one day?"
Yamato laughed. "Ha ha… relax. It's no biggy. We're going back to the Bounty Headquarters anyway, we'll earn more. I still have eight million dollars left."
Fate grinned mischievously. "So this is what bounty hunting feels like… cool."
They all laughed together.
Later in the evening, all the freed slaves gathered around Yamato and his crew as they were preparing to leave.
"Yamato Ishida! We'll miss you!" someone shouted.
Some cried loudly, unable to hold back their emotions.
A group of girls ran up to Fate, each giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Bye, handsome!"
Fate froze, eyes sparkling. He looked like he had entered a dream.
The elder ran toward Kate, calling her name. She turned around, already in tears, and hugged them tightly.
"Please keep her safe, sir," the elder said to Yamato, tears streaming down his face.
All the slaves bowed deeply to Yamato, Shingo, and Fate in gratitude.
The crying and waving continued as Yamato and his crew walked away, fading into the distance, the slaves still waving until they could no longer see them.