It was a feeling he knew all too well:

The feeling of occupying his body. It was like fitting into a cloth, and when it was done, the fingers were the easiest to move, followed by the eyes.

But the sensation of it all wasn’t pleasing this time.

If anything, it was... annoying.

_____

Yaaaawn

A loud yawning sound echoed through the wide hall, where only a single silhouette could be seen.

A scrawny-looking man in his early thirties, dressed roughly in official wear, his suit tossed over at the far corner of the table, barely hanging onto the edges for dear life.

One of his legs rested on the table, a pair of dim brown eyes looking blankly at the screen where a being suspended mid-air, illuminated by golden rays of light, could be seen.

"Ugggh, for how long will he remain like that?"

Adrian thought as he rubbed his eyes.

He had been given a single task.

A task he had been told was of paramount importance.

And while he had been excited at first, that excitement quickly faded when he realized what his task actually was:

Watching over this being.

It had been more than a week now, and the guy hadn’t moved a single inch.

"So much for being of paramount importance..."

He muttered in annoyance, raising his head to glance at the footage that hadn’t changed in over a week now.

But what he saw made him freeze.

The being had moved.

From levitating horizontally in the air, it was now standing on its feet.

"Oh shit."

Adrian muttered, his hands quickly reaching for a button on the table.

Tapping once, panels appeared, and he began rapidly typing.

"Firstly, deactivate the runic formation..."

He muttered, inputting codes as the golden light illuminating the being dispersed.

"Then activate the Essence Seal to lock away his abilities."

He followed up, typing another set of codes.

A stiff beep sounded in confirmation, and Adrian unconsciously exhaled.

Now all that was left was to inform the Commanders of the successful completion of his mission.

But when his eyes turned back to the footage, a chill crossed his spine, and he froze.

The footage...

There was no one in it.

The room was empty.

"You’re a clumsy one... You know that, right?"

The words reverberated from behind him, and Adrian jerked forward in shock, stumbling over the desk before rushing backward.

He turned to find the same being rolling his eyes at him.

White picked up something from the drawer and pulled it open, taking out exactly three chewing gums wrapped in glossy nylon.

"Thanks."

He said to Adrian, who was still on the ground, before walking out.

"Hey! The Commanders, they said..."

Adrian didn’t finish before a ring of blue light flashed through the room, and White disappeared.

When he reappeared

WHOOOOSH!

The air blew his hair wildly across his face as he slowly fell from over eight hundred meters in the sky.

It was a height that should have made any human tremble in fear, but White’s hands were instead busy peeling the nylon off the chewing gum as his eyes lazily scanned the buildings beneath him.

He narrowed down on several familiar waves of aura and, dropping a chewing gum into his mouth, muttered:

"Zero Crown."

A ring-like halo of blue appeared around him, and in the next moment, he vanished into thin air.

___________

"The madness of the Gione Family has to stop now. I say we put them in their place for good!"

The words, filled with raw anger, echoed through a dimly lit hall where a total of thirteen people sat.

"We cannot rush through..."

DRIIIIIING!

DRIIIIIING!

Another voice was cut off by the ringing sound that sent a crimson wave of light through the room.

The dark-robed figure at the lead tapped the air, and the holograph of a person appeared mid-air.

"Sergeant Adrian. Your call came in at quite the wrong time."

A Commander said from the side.

"I’m sorry, Supreme Commanders, but... I think this is really important."

"What is it? Has he finally woken up?"

"Yes, sir, but..."

Adrian stopped, biting his fingers nervously.

"But what, Adrian!?"

A Supreme Commander snapped.

"He’s gone. He disappeared even after I activated the seal, and then... he was just gone..."

"WHAT!?"

The Supreme Commanders roared in disbelief.

"I’m so sorry."

Sergeant Adrian pleaded before the connection was severed.

There was a moment of silence before panels instantly flashed across the room.

"Send orders to deploy all aerial search and ground force units in search of him."

"Send his image to all Captain-level officials. Tell them to keep their eyes peeled."

"We want him here within an hour at most!"

The lead Supreme Commander barked the orders, but then

"Relax."

It was a simple word, but every action froze as all heads turned toward the left corner of the hall, where a figure could be seen half-hidden by the darkness.

He was leisurely reclining against the wall.

Then he slowly stepped out, revealing the chewing gum in his hand.

White quietly peeled off the nylon before tossing the gum into his mouth.

"I’m right here..."

He added, looking at the Supreme Commanders, who were completely lost for words.

They had just been issuing commands for units to search for him, yet he was already here.

And what was even more shocking?

They had no idea he was in the room until he spoke.

One had to remember:

They were Supreme Commanders!

VROOOOOOOM!

In the next moment, powerful waves of energy burst through the room, all targeting White with their intent.

He casually slashed his hand to the side like a blade, effortlessly severing all the intent in an instant.

"Everyone, stop!"

The lead Supreme Commander’s order echoed out, the auras freezing in place.

"Settle back into your seats."

He added, and they did, though their eyes never once left White, who stood there nonchalantly chewing.

"Hello there, White. You’re awake."

The lead Supreme Commander said, watching as White pulled off the last chewing gum and tossed it into his mouth.

"Yes... and I’m starving too."