"Did you enjoy our journey?"
Merthyl reacted by bowing her head; she was confused by everything that had happened. Before Merthyl could finish answering, the conversation was suddenly interrupted by Rico.
Rico then approached Zappardi. He told him that it seemed better to rest for a while first. After thinking it over, Rico felt it would be very dangerous if they continued now; it might turn out like five days ago. Zappardi then stared at Rico. Afterward, he punched Rico hard in the stomach, leaving Rico breathless. Rico was annoyed and asked what Zappardi was doing. Zappardi ignored him, then went back into the hospital with Merthyl. Rico, clutching his sore stomach, followed them inside.
Just as he entered the hall, Rico accidentally overheard a conversation among the hospital staff. He knew something was happening here. When he entered the room, Merthyl was there, but Zappardi was not. Merthyl said that Zappardi had left some time ago. Rico was curious about what Zappardi was doing; he rushed out to look for Zappardi and found him inside a building. Rico asked himself what building this was.
Upon entering, it looked very quiet; there was no one guarding outside, only a few people inside. The room was still clean; all the equipment was neatly stored; the floor was not dull, nor was the paint on the walls. Rico then looked at a training device located on the floor. Zappardi, who saw him, then approached Rico and tapped his shoulder.
"Want to try it?"
"No, no, I don't need that," Rico replied.
"Come on, stop talking so much. Just try it; you'll get addicted later," Zappardi countered.
"Impossible."
Looking at this place, Rico somehow felt a deep sense of nostalgia. They then stayed there until late in the day.
When they returned to the hospital, it was already night; it looked very dark from the outside. The two of them then looked at Merthyl. Zappardi and Rico always observed Merthyl's face and wondered what was really going on. Merthyl always looked down in many situations, aside from that, she was a very kind woman, only her light would gradually dim and might disappear one day. Merthyl seemed to be sleeping soundly on her bed. Zappardi and Rico started talking about the issue again. They spoke in low tones so as not to wake Merthyl. Rico said he felt something strange and perhaps they should at least move from this place soon. Zappardi reacted by nodding his head; he believed in his only friend now. They talked until late into the night until they finally fell into a deep sleep.
When Zappardi opened his eyes, a knock was heard on the door from outside. A nurse knocked on the door, informing them that Merthyl could be discharged from the hospital. Zappardi immediately opened the door. He begged for Merthyl to be allowed to stay here for just one more day. The nurse was confused by this request and then took Zappardi to meet the doctor who was handling Merthyl. Upon arriving in the room, the doctor, who was busy writing something, had his attention diverted by Zappardi. The doctor asked Zappardi the reason for his visit. Zappardi then confidently stepped forward and explained the condition of his team, which had just been involved in a serious accident, requiring all three of them to stay another day here. After listening to the story, the doctor recommended that he speak directly to the hospital director; he had no authority over Zappardi's request. Rico witnessed all of this and then asked if he could be the one to speak to the director. The doctor denied it, saying that it might not be possible because the director was currently out on a mission. Zappardi then re-examined the doctor's physique; he looked very fit and strong. He realized that this doctor was also an active player. Zappardi then asked why the doctor wasn't accompanying the director when it was clear that the doctor was part of the team. The doctor praised Zappardi's judgment, then introduced himself. His name was Darius, Dr. Darius. He explained that Zappardi was right, but he couldn't join for various reasons. It seemed they had no other choice.
The two of them then stepped out briefly to discuss something. The sound of a car was loudly heard from outside; they immediately checked it. Four people immediately got out of the car. One person looked at Zappardi and approached him.
"My name is Phrillo. Nice to meet you." He then patted Zappardi's shoulder, praising his remarkable observation skills.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Zappardi Lleones."
Rico then approached the two of them. He remembered something: that name, Phrillo, was part of the alliance. He then handed Phrillo a letter. Phrillo then read the letter. The content was a message about Argelus's success in making Team Regret the peak alliance in various cities.
After reading the letter, Phrillo then invited the two of them inside the office. Phrillo spoke seriously about this matter. He concluded from the letter that Argelus was still his usual careless self. He added that he knew very well that many of Team Regret's allies were only taking advantage of Argelus, especially with recent events where more and more allies were showing their true colors. Rico agreed with this, as in his observation, Argelus was indeed easily fooled, and sooner or later, this could have a big impact if allowed to continue. Not long after, a knock was heard on the door. Phrillo opened the door. Dr. Darius then entered. He hadn't expected Phrillo to return so quickly. He looked at Rico and Zappardi.
"It's good that you two are here."
"Let me introduce you. This person is the director."
Darius then spoke with Phrillo. Phrillo understood. He allowed the three of them to stay one more day here, but with one condition: they had to help this team take down the Team Regret alliance.