The doors of Diapolde's office exploded open.
Ravva barged inside, his boots slamming against the floor.
"WHY DID YOU ASSIGN ZORALA TO MANAGE CENTAURO?!" he shouted, his voice shaking the room.
Diapolde sat calmly at his desk, writing paperwork, his pen moving slowly across the page. He didn't react at first. Then he looked up.
"Don't raise your voice at me, boy," Diapolde said calmly. "I've lived..."
"WHO GIVES A SHIT HOW LONG YOU'VE LIVED?!" Ravva roared, stepping forward.
"ZORALA IS MY SOLDIER! YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE HIM!"
As he spoke, his body began to change.
Heat poured off him.
His chest started glowing red, like burning metal beneath his skin. The air in the room grew heavy. The temperature rose. The walls seemed to tremble as the heat distorted the space around him.
Diapolde slowly stood up.
His face was calm
But his eyes were angry.
"You barge into my office," he said quietly,
"you shout at me,
and you challenge my authority."
He stepped forward, his presence alone filling the room.
"As your captain," Diapolde continued, his voice cold,
"I cannot allow that."
Ravva stared at him.
Silent.
Burning.
The two men faced each other.
No words.
No movement.
Only pressure.
Zorala sat in the boat as it drifted across the sea. The Bearu Branch was still visible in the distance, standing against the sky.
Suddenly...
BOOM.
A massive explosion erupted from the upper section of the branch.
Fire.
Smoke.
Shockwaves.
The windows shattered outward.
Zorala's eyes widened.
He stood up fast.
"What's happening…?" he whispered.
Scene shift back to Diapolde's office.
The room was destroyed.
Walls cracked.
Furniture shattered.
Smoke filled the air.
Ravva lay on the floor, his back against the wall.
His body was burned.
Blood ran down his face.
His chest barely moved as he struggled to breathe.
Unconscious.
Broken.
Diapolde stood in the center of the ruined office.
Not a single injury.
Not a scratch.
Not a mark.
He looked down at Ravva for a moment.
No emotion.
Then he turned.
Walked back to his desk.
Sat down.
Picked up his pen.
And calmly said,
"…Now I have to start all over with my paperwork."
Zorala sat on the boat, staring at the distant Bearu Branch.
Smoke still rose into the sky.
His hands tightened around the papers.
His thoughts were heavy.
Did they fight?
What happened to Ravva?
What did Diapolde do?
The ocean moved quietly beneath the boat.
The wind passed.
And Zorala sat in silence.
The chapter ends.