Saigid decided to call Yushai to find out how things were going by the river and at the same time show him what was going on here. He's making a video call to him.
Saigid quickly pulls out his phone and dials Yushai. When the connection is made, he holds the screen up just enough to show the chaos — Loku on his giant crow, Crystal beside Fermiris, smoke rising like a curtain from their dramatic entrance.
"Yushai," he says flatly, voice edged with sarcasm. "You wanted a quiet mission? Too late. The whole damn circus just showed up at city hall."
He tilts the screen slightly toward Kakhach — who's still staring at the giant crow with childlike fascination.
"And your friend over here is more interested in birdwatching than staying alive."
"It's not a raven, it's a man in the form of a raven," Yushai said coldly.
Saigid rolls his eyes at Yushai's pedantic correction, resisting the temptation to say, "That's not the point."
"Right," he says sarcastically. "A 'man'. In the form of a huge raven. Which changes absolutely nothing."
He glances over at Kakhach again, who is still staring up at the bird with a comically rapt expression.
"You have any idea how ridiculous your friend looks right now?"
The vice president speaks through the smoke: "That's what your cooperation with the extra-dome king has brought you to."
The president, covered in armor, came closer to the smoke and then turned his gaze to the raven in the sky. Then he looked directly at the smoke again, which took the form of a vice president.
"I, I did everything right, and even more so for my state, but I was prevented several times," the president calmly explained.
"Indeed, and that's why we're in this position. You sold the whole state to some homeless bum! And after that, you hoped that I would go to this service with you?!"
"I didn't sell anything to anyone..." Drago said with a deep sigh.
"Indeed! So why are we in this position if you ended the world with that bum?!" objected Loku.
President Fermiris interrupts him, "That's why you interrupted me! Six times, you interrupted me! And now you're bothering me again!"
"Because of you, our world is collapsing before our eyes!" he shouts in despair, "Even now, people are under your control here... What happened to you?"
"I warned you that this would happen! I warned you! You went against me, and what happened? It's not because of me, it's because of you!" shouted Drago, pointing at him.
"I have announced my demands... To keep the child alive," Loku said sternly.
"I've already told you several times that if the child can stand it," the president says, but Loku interrupts him. "'if' doesn't suit me. You can't guarantee that a child will survive after becoming a vessel for a mighty homeless man!"
The president took a deep breath meaningfully.
"I couldn't stand it. You're right, but you killed him!" said Drago loudly.
"..." He just raised an eyebrow
Saigid watches the exchange between Drago and Loku with growing irritation.
"...Is this a joke?" he mutters under his breath, eyes flicking between the two leaders like he's watching a tennis match of egos. "They're arguing about a child like it's just another damn policy debate."
He leans slightly into the communicator, voice low and sharp: "Yushai. They're not fighting to save lives. They're fighting over blame. And while they scream at each other, Crystal's standing right there—smug, armed, and waiting."
A pause. Then, colder: "We're out of time."
"I see," Yushai says into the phone and then turns off the phone.
Saigid stares at the blank screen for a moment, then scoffs. "Well. That was enlightening," he mutters sarcastically.
He slips the phone back into his pocket, eyes scanning the chaos before him. The argument between Drago and Loku continues to escalate, but now Crystal has taken a step forward—silent, dangerous.
"And here comes the real problem," Saigid murmurs under his breath.
He glances toward Kakhach and Lyutich. Time to move—before someone else decides to blow up another building just to make a point.
"...We're not waiting for permission."
Saigid's phone is ringing. There's a call from Hanchu on the screen.
Crystal looks around the room. And he is clearly puzzled by the fact that one of the people under control can call someone.
Saigid hangs up the phone and crouches down so that he is not seen among the crowd.
Once the call from Hanchu disconnects, Saigid straightens quickly, his body tense.
His eyes dart around the crowd, quickly spotting Crystal's searching gaze skimming over the faces.
Damn. Saigid curses mentally. They're already on to us.
A message from Hanchu appeared on the screen: "Yushai went alone to the Fiti River. He ordered everyone else to stay here in the warehouse."
Saigid' eyes flick down to the message on the screen, his frown deepening.
Of course. Of course Yushai would do something like that.
"Idiot," he mutters under his breath, irritation clear in his voice.
He glances toward Lyutich and Kakhach. "Well, looks like we've been left with the babysitting duty," he notes wryly. "Lucky us."
Saigid stands, dusting himself off. While he's annoyed at having to babysit, he knows better than to complain.
"Come on," he orders, motioning for Lyutich and Kakhach to follow him. "Let's move. We'll meet with Yushai at the river. And if that idiot has gone and gotten himself into trouble again," he adds, half-muttering: "I'm going to kick his ass."